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Tropical Storm Isaias forms in Gulf; DeSantis declares emergency in 25 Florida counties
Tropical Storm Isaias could strengthen into a hurricane before Friday landfall as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declares an emergency in 25 counties.
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Tropical Storm Isaias has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and could quickly become a hurricane. The storm was upgraded to Tropical Storm Isaias on Wednesday morning after developing from a tropical system in the Gulf.
WESH 2 reported that current forecasts show the storm could strengthen into the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.
Tropical Storm Isaias could hit Friday
Isaias was located about 580 miles south of the Mississippi River on Wednesday morning. ABC News reported that the storm was still hundreds of miles south of the Gulf Coast but was expected to strengthen rapidly over the next 24 to 48 hours.
The storm could make landfall on Friday as a hurricane. ABC News reported that Isaias is expected to move toward the northern Gulf Coast and could reach hurricane strength before making landfall Friday.
Isaias could become the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season. The storm may become the first Atlantic hurricane of the season on Thursday. If that happens, it would be the latest first hurricane on record.
Isaias path and landfall area
The storm is expected to move east and then turn north. Computer forecast models generally show Isaias first moving east before turning north toward the northern Gulf Coast, according to WESH 2.
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The possible landfall area stretches from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. WESH 2 reported that forecast models currently point toward a potential impact somewhere in an area ranging from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
Gulf Coast could see heavy rain
Heavy rain could reach the Gulf Coast by Friday morning. ABC News reported that rain from Isaias could reach the area from New Orleans to Pensacola on Friday morning.
The storm could also bring tropical-storm-force winds to the Gulf Coast. ABC News said the rain reaching the coast could come with winds strong enough to reach tropical-storm-force levels.
DeSantis declares Florida emergency
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 25 counties. DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday as a precaution ahead of possible impacts from the storm. WESH 2 reported that the order is meant to help Florida prepare for Isaias.
The emergency declaration covers 25 Florida counties. They are Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla and Washington. The order is Executive Order 26-202.
Florida prepares for Isaias
The emergency order allows Florida to prepare resources before the storm arrives. DeSantis said the order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and make sure the state is ready to respond.
DeSantis urged residents to prepare now. In a statement, he told Floridians to use the time to make disaster plans and check that their hurricane supply kits are stocked.
Hurricane warnings not issued yet
The National Hurricane Center is urging areas near the Gulf to monitor the storm. Forecasters have recommended that people and authorities in the Yucatan Peninsula and northern US Gulf Coast closely watch Isaias as it develops.
There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect at the time of the report. WESH 2 said no coastal watches or warnings had been issued yet, even as forecasters monitored the storm's expected strengthening and possible path.
The biggest concern now is how quickly Isaias strengthens and where it makes landfall. Forecasts indicate rapid strengthening could happen before Friday, with the Gulf Coast from Louisiana through the Florida Panhandle watching the storm closely.
