{"id":423299,"date":"2026-10-09T13:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/423299\/"},"modified":"2026-10-09T13:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:50:13","slug":"hurricane-isaias-becomes-a-major-hurricane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/423299\/","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane Isaias becomes a major hurricane"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Isaias is expected to make landfall Friday night as a dangerous hurricane along the northern Gulf Coast. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com\/news-team\/cd74171b-ac5c-4bfc-8029-83480faa18f6\" aria-label=\"Lauren Hope profile page\" class=\"css-15eikfp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/cd74171b-ac5c-4bfc-8029-83480faa18f6_1734038142.jpg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"Lauren Hope\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/a>FORT MYERS, Fla. \u2014<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"0\">Hurricane Isaias is now the first major hurricane of the season. <\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"1\">Shortly after 8 a.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Center released a special advisory as Isaias (pronounced &#8220;ees-ah-EE-ahs&#8221;) strengthened into a major category 3 hurricane. Isaias is tracking north-northeast at 15 mph with winds sustained at 120 miles.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"2\">Isaias is making its closest pass to Southwest Florida today, though the storm&#8217;s center is still roughly 320 miles northwest of Cape Coral.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/abb8b2a0-e6d3-42ba-ac0d-6fe7957fdae1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"true\" class=\"css-fphibt\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Gulf Coast News<\/p>\n<p>Hurricane Isaias<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/abb8b2a0-e6d3-42ba-ac0d-6fe7957fdae1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-hr9vxw\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"4\">While warm sea surface temperatures are supporting strengthening in the short-term, Isaias will face high wind shear ahead of landfall. <\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"5\">The National Hurricane Center is calling for Isaias to still be a strong-end Category 2 hurricane at landfall. Regardless, this will still be a dangerous hurricane producing numerous threats for the northern Gulf Coast. <\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3acf3eb0-d3ed-4c0e-8da2-97567bcf9f20.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"true\" class=\"css-fphibt\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Gulf Coast News<\/p>\n<p>Forecast Cone<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3acf3eb0-d3ed-4c0e-8da2-97567bcf9f20.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-hr9vxw\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"7\">Landfall is expected Friday night between Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"8\">Isaias was the latest first-forming Atlantic hurricane on record.<\/p>\n<p>Southwest Florida Impacts<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"10\">While Isaias poses no direct threat to Southwest Florida, our region will experience indirect impacts today and Saturday. <\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"11\">The main threats will be over the water. Offshore, rough surf and an increased threat of rip currents will be in place. Gulf seas will build to around 3 to 5 feet on Saturday, though calmer conditions will return on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0b889d81-dbe7-431e-95df-a8f11643bc5b.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"true\" class=\"css-fphibt\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Gulf Coast News<\/p>\n<p>Futurecast Waves<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0b889d81-dbe7-431e-95df-a8f11643bc5b.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-hr9vxw\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"13\">Trailing downpours will filter through the region as Isaias pulls moisture north. Drier conditions will return to Southwest Florida next week.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Impacts<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"15\">Those who live anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi need to prepare for numerous tropical threats.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"16\">Isaias is projected to bring 3 to 7 inches of heavy rain, 5-7 feet of storm surge, the potential for hurricane-force winds, flooding and the risk of tornadoes to parts of the northern Gulf Coast.<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9f363d00-780e-43d6-a121-9ddfbed9273e.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"true\" class=\"css-fphibt\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Gulf Coast News<\/p>\n<p>Rainfall Projections<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/9f363d00-780e-43d6-a121-9ddfbed9273e.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-hr9vxw\"\/>Watches &amp; Warnings<img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3f3f76c7-da6a-46aa-8699-d74f523f5a62.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" draggable=\"true\" class=\"css-fphibt\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Gulf Coast News<\/p>\n<p>Watches and Warnings <\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/3f3f76c7-da6a-46aa-8699-d74f523f5a62.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-hr9vxw\"\/><\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"21\">A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay\/Gulf County Line in Florida.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"22\">A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for much of the northern Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"23\">A Storm Surge Warning is in place for points east of the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River in Florida.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"24\">Count on the Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracking Team to keep you informed.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"26\">However you watch or scroll, we&#8217;re committed to delivering your Gulf Coast Weather Most Accurate Forecast, one you can rely on every day, wherever you are.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"27\">Live Interactive Radar: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com\/app\/live-radar\/69976595\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Track conditions in real time with the Gulf Coast Live Radar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"28\">Watch Gulf Coast Weather: Find the latest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com\/weather\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">weather forecast videos<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com\/app\/nowcast\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">streaming live or on demand<\/a>, on TV and online.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"29\">Stream on the Go: Download the <a href=\"https:\/\/qrco.de\/gcnapp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">free Gulf Coast News app<\/a> to watch on your phone or tablet.<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"30\">Your Gulf Coast Weather Team<\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"32\">Follow on Social: Follow, like, and subscribe to Gulf Coast News on social media to share your tips and be part of the conversation with Southwest Florida&#8217;s most experienced, trusted weather team: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GulfCoastNewsNow\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Facebook<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gulfcoastnewsnow\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Instagram<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@GulfCoastNewsNow\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">YouTube<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@gulfcoastnewsnow\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">TikTok<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.com\/@gulfcoastnewsnow\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Threads<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/gulfcoastnewsnow.bsky.social\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bluesky<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/nextdoor.com\/page\/gulf-coast-news\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nextdoor<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/gcnnow?lang=en\" rel=\"nofollow\">X<\/a><\/p>\n<p data-node-id=\"33\">DOWNLOAD the free <a href=\"https:\/\/qrco.de\/gcnapp\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gulf Coast News app<\/a> for your latest breaking news and weather alerts. And check out the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verylocal.com\/wbbh-ft-myers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Very Local Gulf Coast app<\/a> to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Isaias is expected to make landfall Friday night as a dangerous hurricane along the northern Gulf Coast. FORT&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423300,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[209,211,210,7898,508,514,536,1846,166250,166170,2340,141961,141217,3574,1181,2073,10015,166893,4503,18594,166171,221,166894],"class_list":["post-423299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news","tag-center","tag-forecast","tag-gulf","tag-gulf-coast","tag-hurricane","tag-hurricane-isaias","tag-isaias","tag-mile","tag-mississippi-river","tag-northern-gulf","tag-part","tag-place","tag-region","tag-saturday-morning","tag-southwest-florida-impact","tag-storm","tag-storm-surge","tag-tropical-storm-isaias","tag-weather","tag-western-florida-panhandle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}