Hurricane Isaias now a Category 3 storm: See the latest track
Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane this season, was upgraded to a Category 3 storm Friday ahead of its expected landfall.
According to FOX Weather, Isais is predicted to hit as a dangerous Category 2 storm, with weather conditions going "downhill quickly" Friday as rain arrives on the Gulf Coast.
Here’s the latest:
When will Isaias make landfall?
Timeline:
Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall late Friday into early Saturday along the north Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Isaias upgraded to Category 3 storm
The National Hurricane Center has upgraded Hurricane Isaias to a Category 3 on Friday morning, saying its maximum sustained wind speeds had reached 120 miles per hour.
Where will Isaias make landfall?
Local perspective:
Isaias is predicted to hit somewhere between Pensacola and Destin, Florida, with impacts reaching parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Rain from the storm’s remnants will spread across more than 15 states in the eastern U.S. after landfall this weekend.
RELATED: Hurricane Isaias: Latest updates, alerts, cancellations and more
Georgia is preparing for heavy rain, gusty winds and localized flash flooding from Isaias, with impacts expected heading into the weekend, FOX 5 Atlanta reports.
Tracking Hurricane Isaias (FOX Weather)
Evacuation orders have been issued for Dauphin Island in Alabama, as well as Okaloosa and Escambia counties in Florida. Mandatory evacuation orders have also been issued in Walton County, Florida.
The city of Orange Beach, Alabama, has ordered evacuations for all coastal tourists and visitors.
What is a Category 2 hurricane?
The backstory:
A Category 2 hurricane is a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph (155 to 175 kph) on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Storms of this magnitude bring damage to rooftops and buildings, particularly mobile homes. They also bring down lots of trees and signs.
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Which states have declared a state of emergency?
Florida bracing for Hurricane Isaias
Hurricane Isaias preparations are underway in Florida's panhandle where the storm is expected to make landfall Friday night. FOX's Caroline Elliott joins LiveNOW's Bowen Kedrowicz from Navarre, Florida.
What they're saying:
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for all 159 counties Thursday, and several metro Atlanta event organizers have announced closures and schedule changes.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also declared states of emergency for dozens of counties in their states.
In a Friday news conference, DeSantis urged residents to follow evacuation orders due to storm surge.
"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," DeSantis said.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press, FOX Weather, and FOX 5 Atlanta.