The 2026 hurricane season finally has its first hurricane. Hurricane hunters flying into the Gulf on Wednesday night measured 75 mile per hour winds inside Isaias, pushing it over the threshold from tropical storm to hurricane. Forecasters expect it to keep strengthening, with winds potentially reaching 110 miles per hour by Friday morning as the storm curves north.
Hurricane warnings are now posted from Mississippi through the Florida panhandle, where storm surge could climb as high as 7 feet near and to the right of the landfall point. If you have friends or family in Pensacola, Panama City, or anywhere along that stretch, today is a good day to check in and make sure they have a plan.
Here on the Suncoast, we are not in the warning zone, but we will not walk away untouched. Southwest Florida should expect high surf Friday into Saturday, likely small craft advisories, and a coastal flood advisory running from Pinellas County north through Pasco. Boaters should secure their vessels or stay in the marina, and swimmers should stay out of the Gulf, because rip currents will be dangerous even on a beautiful day.
Are you and your household storm-ready, or does your hurricane kit need a refresh?
