Monster Hurricane Isaias barrels toward Florida and Alabama with 120mph winds as residents flee, gas stations are swamped and nine-foot storm surge threatens Gulf Coast: Live updates

Hurricane Isaias intensified into a powerful Category 3 storm Friday morning as it barrels toward the US.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said: ‘Just-received data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Isaias has strengthened to a major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.’

Hurricane warnings are in effect for parts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi as Isaias approaches, threatening damaging winds, flooding and widespread power outages. Louisiana is under tropical storm and storm surge warnings.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for dozens of coastal counties in Alabama and Florida.

More than 110,000 homes and businesses across Florida and Alabama have been plunged into darkness as the Category 3 storm barrels toward the coast, according to PowerOutage.us.

Alabama’s Gulf Coast and Florida’s Panhandle were the hardest-hit areas for power outages, as strong winds began sweeping across the region, meteorologists said.

The tracking website reported around 62,000 customers without electricity in Alabama and roughly 50,000 in Florida.

A rare extreme wind warning covering more than 500,000 people in Florida’s western Panhandle prompted an urgent order from the NHC: ‘Shelter in place now.’

‘An Extreme Wind Warning is considered your final call to SHELTER IN PLACE!’ the agency said in a post on X.

‘IF YOU LIVE IN SOUTHERN ESCAMBIA, SANTA ROSA OR OKALOOSA COUNTY IN FL YOU NEED TO SHELTER IN PLACE NOW,’ it added.

Extreme wind warnings are the highest-level wind alerts, issued when winds of at least 115 mph are expected, the threshold for Category 3 hurricanes and stronger.

The warning was triggered after hurricane hunters detected ‘extreme winds’ associated with Isaias moving onto land.

‘THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION!’ the National Weather Service (NWS) noted.

The eyewall of the powerful Category 3 hurricane is closing in on the coast as Isaias edges closer to landfall, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said around 7pm ET.

An extreme wind warning is now in effect for the western Florida Panhandle, the NHC said, after a buoy northeast of Isaias recorded an 81 mph gust in the Gulf of Mexico.

The center of the monster hurricane was about 55 miles south-southeast of Pensacola, Florida, moving north at 18 mph, according to officials.

The latest warning comes hours after NHC Director Michael Brennan said: ‘Tropical storm-force winds are already on the coast. Conditions are going downhill very, very, very rapidly.’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 27 counties across the state on Friday.

The governor said more that 16,000 personnel were on call to deal with power restoration throughout the night and Saturday. So far, more than 42,000 customers were without power, according to providers.

‘As of 5 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Isaias was a Category 3 hurricane located approximately 90 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, moving north at 17 mph with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph,’ the governor said in his proclamation.

Landfall is expected Friday evening. Life-threatening storm surge of 6 to 9 feet, 4 to 8 inches of rainfall, flash flooding and tornados are all possible.

Cari Cullen, Program Officer of Domestic Funds at The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) told the Daily Mail that damage to critical infrastructure like hospitals, roads and schools can delay recovery for months after a major storm.

When a hurricane is on radar, essential planning is the best way to prevent catastrophic outcomes.

‘While families displaced by the storm may need stable housing and financial assistance long after emergency shelters close. Planning for those needs now prevents temporary disruptions from becoming long-term crises,’ Cullen says.

‘The communities hit hardest by disasters are often those with the fewest resources to recover. That’s why it’s critical that policymakers, donors and relief organizations work with local communities to identify needs early and commit to supporting recovery for the long haul.’

You can donate to the CDP’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery fund to support long-term recovery efforts.

The Waffle House Index is an informal metric used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to measure the severity of a storm based on the operational status of local Waffle House restaurants.

As of 2.45pm EST, several Waffle Houses closed in the Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida regions.

Approximately 925 remain open, 170 are at risk, and 969 are ‘threatened’ according to the Waffle House Tracker.

Navarre Beach Fire and Rescue confirmed that no firefighters or emergency personnel would be available on the island after 3pm today.

WSVN meteorologist Dylan Federico said that despite Isaias weakening slightly, estimated impact will still be severe.

‘Storm surge of 6-9 feet is coming for these locations [Pensacola to Destin]. Wind gusts of 100 -140 MPH are also likely along the coast this evening. Along with flooding rain and a tornado threat,’ he penned on X.

‘Conditions will quickly deteriorate in the coming hours. If you stayed and still have power, make sure all your devices are changed and candles are ready. This is an extremely dangerous situation for Southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.’

Hurricane Simon, headed towards western Mexico this weekend, is anticipated to grow more intense as Hurricane Isaias makes landfall.

North, Tropical Storm Rachel is also likely to hit the US-Mexico border.

According to a New York Times meteorologist, it is an ‘unusual’ amount of storm activity happening simultaneously.