Isaias grew into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season late Wednesday and hurricane warnings have been posted in parts of the northern Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said.
In its 5 a.m. ET advisory, the hurricane center said that the storm’s maximum sustained winds are 80 mph as Isaias fell one day short of becoming the latest-forming Atlantic basin hurricane, The Associated Press reported.
The center of the storm was located 420 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 170 miles northwest of Progreso, Mexico.
Isaias is moving to the east-northeast at 9 mph.
Residents along the Gulf Coast are preparing for the storm, which is expected to approach the area sometime by Friday night.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf county line on the Florida Panhandle.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from the Jefferson-Plaquemines parish line in Louisiana to west of Ocean Springs, and east of the Bay-Gulf line to the Aucilla River in Florida.
A storm surge watch is in effect from the Steinhatchee River to Yankeetown, Florida, the hurricane center said.
The hurricane center will issue a full advisory at 11 a.m. ET.