Tropical Storm Isaias expected to become first hurricane of season and hit Gulf Coast
Isaias, now a 40‑mph tropical storm, could reach Category 1‑2 strength and strike between eastern Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Tropical Storm Isaias formed early Wednesday and is forecast to become the Atlantic season’s first hurricane before striking the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week, the National Hurricane Center said.
What happened
At 5 a.m. ET on Wednesday the storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving east‑northeast at 8 mph. The NHC placed Isaias about 285 miles west of Progreso, Mexico, and roughly 580 miles southwest of the Mississippi River’s mouth. The centre’s forecast cone shows a northeastward track that turns northward Thursday night, with a projected landfall late Friday or early Saturday somewhere between eastern Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
What the reports add
nypost.com reported that forecasters expect Isaias to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before hitting the Gulf Coast, and noted the NHC’s statement that “there is an increasing risk of dangerous wind and storm surge impacts along portions of the northern Gulf Coast.” Mashable.com added that most spaghetti models predict the storm will reach Category 1‑2 strength, though a few suggest Category 3‑4, and that many models place a possible landfall between Biloxi, Mississippi and Pensacola, Florida.
What was said
The National Hurricane Center warned, “Residents from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle should prepare for dangerous wind and storm surge impacts.” Mashable cited the NHC’s online tracking suite as the source of the forecast cone and model guidance.
How it came about
Isaias formed in the warm waters off eastern Mexico, according to the New York Post, while Mashable said it formed in the Gulf of Mexico. The system follows Tropical Depression Nine, which developed on Tuesday in the Bay of Campeche and was already forecast to move northward toward the Gulf Coast (Felo coverage). The Atlantic season has produced eight named storms so far, with Isaias now poised to become the first hurricane.
Key facts
- Isaias formed early Wednesday with 40 mph sustained winds (nypost.com)
- The storm is about 285 miles west of Progreso, Mexico, and 580 miles southwest of the Mississippi River’s mouth (nypost.com)
- Forecast cone shows landfall between eastern Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle late Friday or early Saturday (mashable.com)
- Spaghetti models mostly predict Category 1‑2 strength, with some suggesting Category 3‑4 (mashable.com)
Where accounts differ
- Location of formation: formed early Wednesday in the warm waters off eastern Mexico (nypost.com); formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning (mashable.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com
- [2] mashable.com
