Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a Category 3 storm Friday morning, with sustained winds of 120 mph as of 11 a.m., and it’s expected to make landfall tonight near the Alabama-Florida line. Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for 27 counties, evacuation orders are in place in areas including Okaloosa County, and storm surge estimates along the coastline have been raised to 9 feet.
While the Suncoast isn’t in the direct path, this storm still affects our community. Many local families have ties to the Panhandle, and our beaches will see elevated rip current risk as the storm churns through the northern Gulf. First Alert meteorologist John Scalzi noted the eye wall is twice the size of Hurricane Milton’s, a comparison that lands hard for anyone who was here two years ago.
The encouraging news is that Isaias is projected to weaken rapidly after moving inland. Until then, the message for anyone in the warned area is simple: evacuation orders are not suggestions. If you have friends or family up north, reach out today and make sure they’re taking this seriously. We’ll be tracking the storm on air and online all weekend.
Are you keeping an eye on anyone in the Panhandle right now?
