GULF BREEZE, Fla. -- Hurricane Isaias crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 2 storm on Friday, lashing communities with wind and rain and threatening to flood low-lying areas where residents were advised to evacuate ahead of its arrival. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season made landfall at near Destin, Fla., the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 105 m.p.h. (169 km/h). The storm weakened to just below major hurricane status before it came ashore. High winds whipped palm trees and thundering waves crashed along the beaches of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on Friday as Hurricane Isaias charged toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. “Things are going to get really, really treacherous over the next couple hours,” said Jamie Rhome, deputy director for the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta. Wind gusts up to hurricane strength began to lash the Gulf shoreline in the early evening. The low-lying coastal area is known for powdery white sand beaches that are dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks. In Mobile, Ala., officials reported downed trees and power lines, while Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, which serves parts of Florida, issued a boil-water notice for its customers. More than 365,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without power Friday evening, according to poweroutage.com. A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle. Several counties announced mandatory evacuations while Mobile, Alabama, imposed a curfew beginning Friday evening until morning. Residents in Panama City, Fla., braved the rain while filling sandbags Friday to protect their houses. “I mean, it’s just the nature of the beast. It’s Florida,” said Corliss Stone, who works for the fire department. Many will brave Isaias at home One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as six to nine feet (1.8 to 2.7 metres), according to the hurricane centre. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the Florida beach community of Gulf Breeze, said everyone in their neighborhood planned to ride out the storm. The couple installed hurricane shutters and picked up anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile. “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.” Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said. In a sign of how serious the warnings are, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle were closed, according to the company’s website. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open through severe weather and often is a measuring stick of a storm’s severity. Kelsei Frazier, a Florida-native living in Pace who is no stranger to hurricanes, knows all about the Waffle House Index. “We joke because if Waffle House is still open, then you know it’s not a bad hurricane, but all the Waffle Houses that I know of within at least a normal range from us are closed,” said Frazier. “Which is a pretty big deal.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents to expect power outages, gasoline shortages and closures of bridges and highways. The state’s National Gauard deployed about 5,000 soldiers and airmen to help with the response, and search and rescue teams were ready to respond, while some prisons evacuated inmates. The whole region could get soaked Isaias is expected to weaken and be downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the centre said. Still, heavy rain is forecast as it moves inland, with four to eight inches (10 to 20 centimetres) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia. Isaias, which is the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, also is expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, and then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday. Isaias grounds flights but likely to miss oil hubs The storm grounded most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, scrapped his plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn’t want to disrupt the emergency response. Isaias was expected to miss the oil industry’s biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast, but fuel prices could rise if power outages shut down refineries for processing crude, industry experts said. On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, Mayor Jeff Collier said he didn’t expect major damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength -- we just have to be prepared for the worst.” Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 storm on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend. Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend. ------ Megnien reported from Panama City, Fla., and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. These Associated Press journalists also contributed: Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Fla.; Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn.; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, S.D.; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Ala.; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Ark.; and Hallie Golden in Seattle. Sophie Bates, Emilie Megnien and John Seewer, The Associated Press
