Residents in Florida's Panhandle urged to take shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches US Gulf Coast
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Intensifying winds whipped palm trees and thundering waves crashed along the beaches of the Florida Panhandle and Alabama on Friday as Hurricane Isaias swirled just offshore, picking up speed as it charged toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.
The storm weakened slightly to a Category 2 as the first hurricane of an unusually quiet Atlantic season. Forecasters reported landfall was likely over the western panhandle near the Pensacola area.