Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall along the western Florida Panhandle this evening as a Category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds near 115 mph. The minimum central pressure is 959 mb, and hurricane-force winds extend up to 35 miles from the center. Tropical-storm-force winds reach out 205 miles, so communities well inland will feel this one too.
After landfall, the center of Isaias will move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday. Weakening begins tonight, and the storm is forecast to become post-tropical on Saturday before turning north-northeastward to northeastward on Sunday. Anyone with travel plans through Alabama or Tennessee this weekend should build in extra time and watch for local advisories.
For those of us here on the Suncoast, Isaias is not a direct threat, but October is still hurricane season on the Gulf Coast. The storm is a good reminder to restock your kit, review your evacuation zone, and check in on neighbors and family members who might be riding this one out up north. Have you restocked your hurricane supplies yet this season?
