Hurricane Isaias strengthens into Category 3 with evacuations underway on Gulf Coast

By Mary Gilbert, Briana Waxman, CNN Meteorologists

Isaias has strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph, according to a special update from the National Hurricane Center moments ago. That makes it a major hurricane, a designation reserved for storms rated Category 3 or higher.

Isaias is the first major hurricane in the Atlantic since Hurricane Melissa last October.

Increasing wind shear, which can disrupt a hurricane’s structure, is expected to weaken Isaias slightly before landfall late tonight, but the storm will remain a dangerous hurricane, potentially as strong as a high-end Category 2. Life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and over 12 inches of flooding rain are all expected along the Gulf Coast.

When it makes landfall, it will be the first time a hurricane has struck any US coastline in two years.

The last was Hurricane Milton. Milton made landfall on the west coast of Florida on October 9, 2024, as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds.

Widespread power outages are expected, and up to 9 feet of storm surge and up to 15 inches of rain is possible at the coast, with tornadoes popping up with little notice.

States of emergency have been issued in parts of Alabama, Florida and Georgia, and mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for several coastal counties.

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