The hurricane Isaías made landfall tonight near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 PM Central Time (9:30 Miami time), with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 971 mb, as confirmed by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) through Doppler radar data from the National Weather Service.
At the moment of impact, the system was moving north at 19 mph (31 km/h) and was located about 40 miles (65 km) east of Pensacola and about 50 miles (80 km) west-northwest of Panama City.
The NHC warned that a "life-threatening storm surge" was impacting the Gulf coast as "dangerous hurricane conditions and flash flooding" spread inland.
The measurements recorded at the time of landfall reflected the intensity of the phenomenon: a nearby WeatherFlow station to Santa Rosa Sound reported a gust of up to 116 mph (187 km/h) with a sustained wind of 91 mph (146 km/h), while a nearby WeatherSTEM station to Pensacola recorded gusts of up to 100 mph (161 km/h) with a sustained wind of 63 mph (101 km/h).
A NOAA water level gauge in Panama City Beach reported a level of 5.6 feet above normal high water, which the NHC described as an indication of potential flooding in that area.
Isaías is the first hurricane of the 2026 season in the Atlantic, an event that AccuWeather described as a historical record, marking the latest first hurricane in 121 years. The system formed on October 6 as a tropical depression over the southwestern Gulf of Mexico and reached hurricane strength the following day, October 7, with winds of 75 mph and a pressure of 982 hPa.
Its intensification was remarkable: on October 9, at 12:20 UTC, Isaías reached category 3 with winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 959 hPa, before slightly weakening to category 2 hours before making landfall.
Before the impact of Hurricane Isaias, local authorities had issued evacuation orders, both mandatory and voluntary, in seven counties of northwest Florida: Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Franklin, and Gulf. The measures focused on coastal areas, barrier islands, low-lying regions, and homes vulnerable to flooding, although their extent and mandatory nature varied by location.
In Okaloosa County, which includes Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Okaloosa Island, authorities ordered mandatory evacuations for residents in Zones A and B starting at noon on Thursday, October 8. This directive included Okaloosa Island and coastal areas of Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther, and Niceville. Additionally, two shelters were opened at 6:00 p.m. that day: Davidson Middle School in Crestview and Raider Arena at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville.
After making landfall, it is expected that Isaías will continue moving northward, gradually weakening as it progresses through Alabama and the Tennessee Valley. Despite its weakening, its remnants could still bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding to areas in the interior of the United States.
(News in progress)
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