Tropical Storm Isaias expected to become Atlantic’s first hurricane as Florida declares emergency

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order on Tuesday declaring a state of emergency in 25 counties as a precaution as Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to become a hurricane in the Gulf.

The emergency order covers following counties: Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla, and Washington.

DeSantis said in a statement, “This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and ensure Florida is ready to respond.”

“Floridians should take this time to get disaster plans in place and ensure their hurricane supply kit is stocked.”

On Wednesday morning, Tropical Storm Isaias formed in the warm waters off eastern Mexico. As per the latest weather forecast, it would strengthen into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before making landfall at the US Gulf Coast later in the week.

Isaias is located about 285 miles west of Progreso, Mexico and roughly 580 miles southwest of the Mississippi River’s mouth, featuring maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and is moving east-northeast at a speed of 8mph.

The exact landfall location is uncertain, but initial predictions from the National Hurricane Center indicate it could make landfall between eastern Louisiana and the western Florida Panhandle.

In the coming days, forecasters issue warning of an increasing risk of dangerous winds and heavy downpouring that could disrupt the northern Gulf Coast and much of the US Southeast starting Friday, October 9, and into the weekend.

The storm comes after an unusually quiet Atlantic hurricane season due to strong El Nino that disturb storm formation.