Isaias strengthens into Category 2 hurricane on collision course with the Gulf Coast
asserted
Isaias → strengthen → Coast
MIAMI — Isaias strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane as it barreled toward the U.S. Gulf Coast on Thursday, prompting orders for tourists to abandon beaches for safer spots inland, sending locals scurrying for gas and groceries and leading fishing crews to secure their boats before the potentially destructive storm's arrival.
asserted
crews → strengthen → arrival
The first hurricane of the Atlantic season was forecast to intensify rapidly and cause dangerous conditions in the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi when it makes landfall late Friday or early Saturday.
asserted
it → forecast → landfall
"We are expecting Isaias to be a dangerous hurricane when it makes landfall," said Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
asserted
Brennan → expect → Miami
He added: "Today is the day to prepare and get ready and be in your safe place by tomorrow as conditions will rapidly deteriorate along the northern Gulf Coast as Isaias approaches."
Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the hurricane center, surpassing the 96 mph (154 kph) threshold for a Category 2 storm.
Isaias was headed northeast at 14 mph (22 kph) and was centered about 260 miles (415 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
uncertain
Isaias → add → River
A hurricane warning was in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida, the hurricane center said.
asserted
center → say → Florida
Preparations underway
Coastal communities moved quickly to prepare, as Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered non-residents to immediately evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.
asserted
Ivey → move → Shores
Videos on social media showed traffic at a standstill on a highway leading out of Gulf Shores, where double-red beach flags signaled water access was closed.
asserted
access → show → Shores
At least four Florida school districts canceled late-week classes, while several counties announced mandatory evacuations for some coastal areas.
asserted
counties → cancel → areas
The governors of Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for dozens of counties, with Florida's Ron DeSantis saying about 5,000 National Guard troops were expected to mobilize by Friday.
asserted
troops → declare → Friday
On Dauphin Island, a 15-mile (24-kilometer) barrier island off the Alabama coast, officials encouraged voluntary evacuations, particularly on its popular western section, which is vulnerable to storm surge.
asserted
which → encourage → surge
Mayor Jeff Collier said he did not anticipate substantial 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."
asserted
we → say → worst
Water from the storm surge and high tide could reach heights of 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) in parts of Alabama and Mississippi, forecasters said.
uncertain
forecasters → reach → Alabama
Isaias also could dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on coastal areas and spawn tornadoes overnight Friday into Saturday from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia.
uncertain
Isaias → dump → Panhandle
The hurricane is expected to quickly weaken after coming ashore.
asserted
hurricane → expect → ?
The National Weather Service warned of possible "long-duration power outages."
asserted
Service → warn → outages
The hurricane formed late in the season
Isaias developed more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season and was one day short of tying a 121-year-old record for the area's latest-forming hurricane.
asserted
Isaias → form → hurricane
That record dates to 1905, when the year's first Atlantic hurricane formed on Oct. 8.
asserted
hurricane → date → Oct.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet this year because of a strong El Niño, which disrupts storm formation over the Atlantic.
asserted
which → disrupt → Atlantic
Storm activity has been above average in the Pacific, where Hurricane Simon, which formed as a tropical storm on Wednesday off of Mexico and became a hurricane late Thursday, was forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane.
asserted
which → form → hurricane
Farther north, Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to reach Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California this weekend.
asserted
Rachel → expect → California
Isaias is expected to strike a swath of coastline that's familiar with major hurricanes.
asserted
that → expect → hurricanes
One of the 20th century's worst storms, Hurricane Camille, killed more than 250 people after hitting land near Waveland, Mississippi, in 1969.
asserted
One → kill → 1969
Hurricane Katrina in 2005 razed neighborhoods in Mississippi, flooded New Orleans and killed nearly 1,400 people.
asserted
Katrina → raze → people
And Hurricane Michael leveled homes and buildings near Panama City, Florida, in 2018.
asserted
Michael → level → 2018
Oil production and tourism are already affected
asserted
production → affect → ?
Ahead of the storm, oil and gas producers shut down a significant share of offshore production in the Gulf, which accounts for almost 15% of crude pumped annually in the U.S.
asserted
which → shut → U.S.
As of Thursday, about 63% of the oil production in the region had been temporarily halted, taking nearly 1.3 million barrels a day off the market, according to the Marine Minerals Administration.
uncertain
% → halt → Administration
It said 121 of the Gulf's 371 manned oil platforms had been evacuated.
asserted
121 → say → platforms
With oil prices already high, the production cuts are steep enough to affect markets, though other Gulf hurricanes have caused larger disruptions, said Jim Burkhard, global head of crude oil market research for S&P Global Energy.
asserted
Burkhard → affect → Energy
More concerning, he said, is whether Isaias strikes as a powerful storm near refineries.
asserted
strikes → say → refineries
As it moves inland, Isaias might also disrupt Saturday's college football showdown between rivals Georgia and Alabama, a game President Donald Trump planned to attend.
uncertain
Trump → move → rivals
In Loxley, a small Alabama community where county officials urged voluntary evacuations, Nichole Eubanks and her husband prepared to ride out the storm on their farm, which is home to dozens of animals, including pigs, donkeys and about 20 rescued cats.
asserted
which → urge → pigs
They planned to put contact information on the hooves of their goats, donkeys and pigs in case they got loose.
"
asserted
they → plan → goats
It's definitely scary, and you never really know where these storms are going to go and how bad it's going to be until it gets there," said Eubanks, 35.
asserted
Eubanks → know → ?
In the Alabama fishing village of Bayou La Batre, Tony Rice and Lance Connor installed doors on their fishing boat Thursday to protect the vessel.
asserted
Rice → instal → vessel
The boat was one of many moored there, and Rice said they planned to move it to a less-crowded spot to decrease the chances of it bumping into others.
asserted
it → moor → others
In Pensacola, Florida, officials said the airport will close to commercial flights Friday morning.
asserted
airport → say → flights
Mayor D.C. Reeves urged residents to check on older adult neighbors and others who might need help.
uncertain
who → urge → help
"Obviously no need to panic at this point," Reeves told a news conference.
asserted
Reeves → panic → conference
The Aporia
