Tropical Storm Isaias is forming and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and strike the U.S. Gulf Coast this week.
NOAA
Tropical Storm Isaias formed early Wednesday in warm waters off eastern Mexico and forecasters said it was expected to strengthen to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before hitting the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week.
Isaias was located about 285 miles (460 kilometers) west of Progreso, Mexico, and about 580 miles (935 kilometers) southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 km/h) and was moving east-northeast at 8 mph (13 km/h).
It was not immediately clear where the storm might make landfall on the Gulf Coast. Initial hurricane center projections indicated the center of Isaias could reach the coast somewhere between eastern Louisiana and western Florida. Residents in these areas were urged to prepare for the storm.
“There is an increasing risk of dangerous wind and storm surge impacts along portions of the northern Gulf Coast,” the hurricane center said. “Residents from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle should closely monitor the latest forecast updates and ensure they have their hurricane plan in place.”
Isaias will also bring areas of heavy rain to parts of the Gulf Coast and much of the southeastern United States on Friday and through the weekend, forecasters said.
The storm comes as the Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually calm this year due to a strong El Niño, which disrupts storm formation in that ocean. Storm activity in the Pacific was above average.
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