Hurricane Isaias Becomes Major Category 3 Storm

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias surging toward the U.S. Gulf Coast on Oct. 8, 2026. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP

U.S. weather forecasters on Friday morning said Hurricane Isaias is now a Category 3 major storm with 120 mph winds, with just hours to go before it makes landfall along the northern Gulf coast.

An update posted at 8:20 a.m. ET by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows the storm is about 240 miles south of Pensacola, located on Florida’s Panhandle region, and 170 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

The storm is moving 15 mph to the north-northeast, according to the NHC. A forecast map shows that the storm is expected to strike sometime between late Friday night and early Saturday morning, likely along the Florida–Alabama border.

Hurricane warnings were issued by the NHC from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf county lines in Florida. Storm surge warnings were issued for the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River.

This is a breaking news update. More details will follow.