Isaias could become season’s first hurricane as it heads for Gulf Coast

The National Hurricane Center has officially upgraded Tropical Depression Nine into Tropical Storm Isaias, and it is likely to become our first hurricane of the season before making landfall, probably along the central Gulf Coast early Saturday morning. We have been monitoring this area for days, and over the last 24 to 36 hours, we have noticed that the low-pressure area that developed on Monday has become better organized. Hurricane hunters, specifically The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Gulfstream jet, have been flying around the system and will continue to investigate it throughout the next few days. The National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds were around 40 mph on Wednesday. No coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect, but this will likely change as early as Wednesday evening across parts of the Gulf Coast. Due to the threat, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 25 counties across the state. The tropical storm is expec