Communities along the US Gulf Coast gathered final provisions and secured their homes on Friday as Isaias intensified into a major hurricane, carving a path towards the Alabama-Florida border.
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Isaias → gather → border
The Category 3 storm, which represents the first major hurricane of an unusually quiet Atlantic season, is predicted to hit land on Friday night.
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which → represent → night
Forecasters warn it could bring dangerous storm surges, destructive winds, heavy flooding and the possibility of tornadoes.
uncertain
it → warn → tornadoes
Isaias is projected to strike between Alabama’s Mobile Bay and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle — a coastal stretch celebrated for its white sand beaches, holiday accommodation, waterfront bars and seafood eateries.
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Isaias → project → beaches
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents Friday to expect power outages and shortages at gas stations along with flooding and wind damage.
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DeSantis → warn → flooding
“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.
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he → rise → that
The hurricane center said Friday morning that time was running out to make preparations “as the weather will go downhill quickly today.”
As of mid-morning, the storm was centered about 240 miles (386 kilometers) south of Pensacola, Florida, and moving to the north-northeast, the center said.
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center → say → northeast
Anne Petzold, who lives with her husband in the panhandle beach community of Gulf Breeze, said Friday that they and all of their neighbors plan to ride out the storm.
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they → live → storm
The couple put up hurricane shutters, put away anything in their yard that could turn into a projectile, stocked up on food and water, and have two generators ready if they lose power.
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they → put → power
“Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help.
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they → do → help
All good,” she said.
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she → say → ?
“It’s just another adventure.”
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It → ’ → ?
Dangerous conditions are expected throughout the western panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi, the National Hurricane Center said.
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Center → expect → panhandle
Rain began falling along the coast Friday morning, and tropical storm conditions were expected by early afternoon.
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conditions → fall → afternoon
A storm surge as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters) was predicted in some coastal areas, according to the hurricane center.
Isaias strengthens as it closes in
The storm was packing 120 mph (193 kph) winds Friday morning and picking up speed.
uncertain
storm → predict → speed
storms are considered major hurricanes and are capable of causing devastation.
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storms → consider → devastation
Once Isaias comes ashore, it is expected to weaken until it is downgraded to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon, the hurricane center said.
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center → come → afternoon
Still, heavy rain was in the forecast as it moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama to southwestern Georgia.
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inches → move → Georgia
Isaias, which will be 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.
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Milton → hit → Monday
Evacuations have been ordered
A hurricane warning was in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle.
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warning → order → Panhandle
Preparations have been going on for days.
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Preparations → go → days
On Thursday, residents boarded up windows and stacked sandbags while thousands of National Guard soldiers were deployed.
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thousands → board → soldiers
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday ordered non-residents to immediately evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.
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Ivey → order → 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.
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access → show → Shores
Several counties announced mandatory evacuations for some coastal areas while Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for dozens of counties.
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Florida → announce → counties
On Dauphin Island, a barrier island off the Alabama coast, 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.”
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we → say → worst
Meanwhile in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon became a Category 2 hurricane on Friday and was expected to strengthen further before making landfall in Mexico this weekend.
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Simon → become → Mexico
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