Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) warned Florida residents Friday to evacuate areas expected to be affected by incoming Hurricane Isaias, as the Gulf Coast braces for the first big storm of the season.
The Category 3 storm is set to hit the north Gulf Coast on Friday evening before reaching Alabama, according to the National Hurricane Center. As of 3 p.m., Isaias was located about 125 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, and 140 miles south of Mobile, Alabama, with tropical storm conditions spreading onshore before the hurricane is set to make landfall in the evening.
Florida officials have warned that the storm surge could reach up to 7 feet along parts of the Panhandle, while the National Hurricane Center forecasts up to 9 feet between the Alabama line and Grayton Beach. The governor has declared a state of emergency for 25 counties in north Florida and the northwest Florida Panhandle. In a press conference, he added calls for residents in evacuation zones in Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Franklin, and Gulf counties to leave the area, even if it means traveling a few miles.
“People who are in the path of this storm should know that this is not just going to be a random tropical system,” DeSantis said at the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center in Pensacola. “It’s going to be a strong hurricane, and it’s going to potentially do a lot of damage.”
“The surge is really what puts a lot of people’s lives in jeopardy if they haven’t heeded evacuation orders and does the most significant damage from these storms,” he added. “You hide from the wind, but you run from the water. … When the water’s rising and things are happening, it’s a very, very difficult conundrum and you do not wanna be caught in that.”
Jared Perdue, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, also urged people in evacuation zones along the Panhandle and Big Bend to leave for a safer location.
“You can just go tens of miles, find a shelter that can handle the winds, and get out of that storm surge zone,” Perdue said Friday.
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
" data-large-file="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg?w=696" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg?w=696" alt="Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026." class="wp-image-4761803" srcset="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg 1024w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/AP26282602296547.jpg?resize=696,464 696w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
DeSantis outlined a series of measures officials have taken to prepare for the storm, including gathering 1,000 generators, half a million gallons of gasoline, a million gallons of diesel, 35,000 gallons of aviation fuel, millions of ready-to-eat meals, and over 1 million bottles of water.
The Florida Department of Health has mobilized over 100 ambulances, while the Florida State Guard has deployed nearly 400 soldiers, aircraft, and maritime vessels to assist with search-and-rescue and recovery operations, along with 5,000 guard members to support response efforts, officials said.
DESANTIS DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR TROPICAL STORM ISAIAS
An additional 16,000 lineworkers and support personnel have been mobilized for potential power restoration, DeSantis revealed.
“They are going to respond, and I have no doubt that they’re going to do a very efficient and quick response,” DeSantis said. “However, it may not be instantaneous, and you may have some time where you don’t have power. So please be prepared for that.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
