By admin 
Hurricane Isaias is now a major Category 3 hurricane ahead of an expected landfall in the Florida Panhandle Friday evening — bringing 100-plus mph winds, up to 7 feet of storm surge and the potential for double-digit rain.
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The Panhandle remains blanketed in storm watches and warning, with mandatory evacuations underway in several counties and a state of emergency declared in 25 counties. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to be aware of the storm, particularly the higher-than-usual risk of tornadoes,
The National Hurricane Center said at 8:20 a.m. Friday that Isaias had 120 mph maximum sustained winds, a Category 3 storm.
For days, forecasters have predicted that a wall of wind shear near the northern Gulf coast would help cut the storm down just before landfall, bringing slightly lower winds but a broader storm ashore. However, on Friday morning the hurricane center noted that the timing matters a great deal.
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“This is a tenuous spot because it would only take about a 6h delay in the onset of the shear to bring a stronger hurricane than expected onshore,” forecasters said at 5 a.m.
Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall near Pensacola late Friday or early Saturday, but its high winds and heavy rains — as well as tornado risk — extend far outside the direct landfall area. The hurricane center predicts 4 to 8 inches of rain for the Panhandle, or up to 15 inches in some spots.
This story was originally published October 9, 2026 at 4:40 AM with the headline “Hurricane Isaias hits Category 3 as it closes in on Florida landfall.”
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