New York [US], October 10: Hurricane Isaias strengthened on Thursday as it barreled toward the US Gulf Coast, prompting mandatory evacuations in parts of Florida and emergency declarations in Alabama as forecasters warned of life-threatening storm , tornadoes and flooding.
Isaias has already severely disrupted oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, forcing energy companies to evacuate offshore platforms and shut down operations.
The first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph) early on Thursday, the US National Hurricane Center said. Isaias was forecast to strengthen to near Category 3 intensity, with sustained winds reaching 110 mph (175 kph) on Friday before reaching the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday.
Isaias nearly tied the record for the latest first Atlantic hurricane with one that hit on October 8, 1905. The strong El Nino weather pattern this year has suppressed Atlantic hurricane development by increasing vertical wind shear, which disrupts the formation of strengthening tropical storms.
The hurricane was moving east-northeast at 10 mph (17 kph), about 355 miles (570 km) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River at 1 p.m. US Central time, the NHC said.
The Marine Minerals Administration, which monitors offshore US oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico, said on Thursday that personnel have been evacuated from 121 production platforms and five non-dynamically positioned rigs ahead of the storm.
About 63% of current oil production in the Gulf, or 1.3 million barrels of oil a day, has been shut in, the agency said, citing operator reports. Just over 1.1 billion cubic feet a day of natural gas production has also been shut in, or about 57% of total output from the region.
On Wednesday, 25% of oil production and 16% natural gas output had been shut in.
About 9 million barrels of oil production could be lost across the Gulf through the duration of the storm, a marked increase from the 7.1 million barrels impacted by Tropical Storm Bertha in July, according to a model forecast from consulting firm Earth Science Associates.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation