Hurricane Isaias closes in on US Gulf Coast
Hurricane Isaias is set to make landfall along the Alabama and Florida coasts on Friday night in the US. <p>It is being classed as a category three - the third highest - and is expected to result in a "life-threatening" storm surge, "extremely dangerous and damaging" winds, flooding and possibly tornadoes.</p><p>Residents along the US Gulf Coast have been boarding up windows, laying sandbags and getting last-minute supplies in preparation for the storm, which is the first in an unusually quiet hurricane season.</p><widget id="1"></widget><p>The last one to hit the eastern US was <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/hurricane-milton-category-3-storm-makes-landfall-in-florida-13231149" target="_self"><strong>Milton</strong></a>, which struck the Gulf Coast of <a href="https://news.sky.com/topic/florida-5687/1" target="_self"><strong>Florida</strong></a> in 2024.</p><p>Isaias is due to come ashore between Mobile Bay on the <a href="https://news.sky.com/topic/alabama-5713/1" target="_self"><strong>Alabama</strong></a> coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle - an area known for white sandy beaches, holiday homes and waterfront bars.</p><p>The National Hurricane Centre said a "life-threatening" storm surge, which could be 1.8m-2.7m (6ft-9ft), was expected from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Suwannee in Florida.</p><p>And "extremely dangerous" hurricane-force winds were anticipated over parts of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, where a hurricane warning is in effect.</p><p>On Friday morning, it packed 120mph (193kph) sustained winds and was picking up speed.</p><p>"Damaging wind gusts were likely over a large portion of the southeastern US from western and northern Georgia westward over much of central and northern Alabama, southern middle Tennessee and Mississippi," the centre said.</p><p>It added: "Isaias will bring areas of heavy rainfall to the central US Gulf coast and much of the southeast throughout the weekend."</p> <widget id="3"></widget><p>Alabama governor Kay Ivey has ordered non-residents to evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.</p><p>And Florida governor Ron DeSantis has warned people to expect floods, wind damage, power outages and fuel shortages.</p><p>"When the water's rising and things are happening, it's a very, very difficult conundrum and you do not want to be caught in that," he said.</p><p>But Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said they and all of their neighbours plan to ride out the storm.</p><p>The couple have put up hurricane shutters, removed anything in their yard that could become a projectile and have two generators ready if they lose power.</p><p>"Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help - they ask for help, they offer help. All good," she said. "It's just another adventure."</p><p><strong>More from Sky News:</strong><br /><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/two-latvian-men-bailed-after-arrest-at-raf-base-13596993" target="_self"><strong>Two men bailed after arrest at RAF base</strong></a><br /><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/flydubai-co-pilot-planned-to-crash-aircraft-into-ben-gurion-airport-uae-says-13597009" target="_self"><strong>Co-pilot planned to crash plane into airport, says UAE</strong></a></p> <widget id="4"></widget><p>Once it comes ashore, Isaias is expected to weaken until it is downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon.</p><p>But heavy rain is still forecast as it moves inland, with 10-20cm (4-8in) or more expected through the weekend.</p>