Hurricane Isaias strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season early Thursday as it moved toward the northern coast of the Gulf of America. The storm is expected to continue strengthening before making landfall late Friday or early Saturday along the northern Gulf Coast, with potentially dangerous impacts across Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. As of early Thursday, the National Hurricane Center placed Isaias about 445 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.
The storm could disrupt onshore and offshore oil and gas production, affecting an estimated 11.2 million barrels of oil output and potentially pushing fuel prices higher, U.S. News reports. Heavy rain of up to 10 inches could also cause flash and urban flooding across the Southeast.
