Communities on the U.S. Gulf Coast are bracing as Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday night as a Category 2 storm.
The storm, with winds up to 105 mph, made landfall near Destin, Florida, in the Florida Panhandle at 8:30 p.m. CT. As it continued its march north over the western part of the Panhandle, the storm weakened to a Category 1.
A hurricane warning is currently in effect from just east of Biloxi, Mississippi, through Mobile and Pensacola to Panama City and Mexico Beach, Florida.
Many low-lying and coastal areas, particularly on the Florida Panhandle, are under evacuation orders, with communities preparing for strong winds that could near 120 mph in some locations, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference Friday morning.
Storm surge warnings are also in place along the coast, with surges forecast to reach up to 9 feet from the Santa Rosa/Okaloosa County Line, Florida, to Grayton Beach, Florida.
