Tracking Isaias: Storm expected to strengthen before Gulf Coast landfall

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The National Hurricane Center issued hurricane and storm surge watches Wednesday for parts of the northern Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Isaias heads toward the region.

Air Force Hurricane Hunters were flying into the storm Wednesday evening to gather data, according to the hurricane center’s 7 p.m. CDT advisory.

Where the storm is now

As of 7 p.m. CDT, Isaias was about 200 miles west-northwest of Progreso, Mexico, and about 480 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the hurricane center said.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving east-northeast at 8 mph, the hurricane center said. Tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 60 miles from the center.

Where it’s headed

The hurricane center said Isaias is expected to continue moving east-northeast Wednesday night, then turn northeast and north Thursday and Friday. The storm is forecast to pass north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday, then make landfall along the U.S. northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday.

The hurricane center expects Isaias to strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday morning, with additional strengthening through Friday morning.

Watches in effect

According to the National Hurricane Center:

• Storm Surge Watch: Mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, Florida
• Hurricane Watch: Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida
• Tropical Storm Watch: Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line to west of Bay St. Louis, and east of Indian Pass to the Aucilla River

There were no changes to these watches in Wednesday evening’s advisory. The hurricane center said it could issue more watches or warnings for the northern Gulf Coast overnight, and it urged people in the Yucatan Peninsula and along the northern Gulf Coast to keep monitoring the storm.

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