Tropical Storm Isaias formed in the Bay of Campeche overnight, prompting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency for 25 Panhandle and Big Bend counties ahead of a forecast Friday landfall.
The National Hurricane Center's 4:00 a.m. CDT advisory placed Isaias in the southern Gulf with 40 mph winds, moving east-northeast at 8 mph. Forecasters expect the storm to rapidly strengthen, becoming a hurricane by Thursday and approaching the northern Gulf Coast on Friday.
The projected landfall zone runs from Biloxi, Mississippi to Panama City, Florida, late Friday or early Saturday — possibly as a Category 2 hurricane. Hurricane watches are expected to be issued later today.
The storm is also a wild card for the weekend's college football calendar: President Trump is scheduled to attend Saturday's Alabama-Georgia showdown in Tuscaloosa, where players are already preparing for rain and wind.
