At 1 a.m. Friday, Hurricane Isaias was 230 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving north-northeast at 14 mph. Okaloosa is under a Hurricane Warning and a Storm Surge Warning, with landfall expected somewhere in the warning area Friday night or early Saturday. Story: as drafted above.
Hurricane hunter aircraft from NOAA and the Air Force were inside Isaias overnight. Their data puts maximum sustained winds at 105 mph, and the National Hurricane Center says the storm could briefly become a major hurricane later Friday before weakening some ahead of landfall. It will still be a dangerous hurricane when it reaches the coast.
What the 1 a.m. advisory means for Okaloosa:
Wind: Tropical storm conditions begin later Friday. Hurricane conditions are expected Friday night into early Saturday. Hurricane-force winds reach about 25 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds reach about 125 miles.
Storm surge: 5 to 7 feet above ground is possible from Dauphin Island to Indian Pass, which includes our coast, if peak surge arrives at high tide. The deepest water will be along the immediate coast, with large waves on top of it.
Rain: 4 to 8 inches across the Panhandle, with up to 15 inches in spots. Flash flooding is likely, and river flooding is expected.
Tornadoes: The risk starts Friday evening in coastal Panhandle areas and continues through Saturday.
Surf: Life-threatening rip currents. Stay out of the water.
If you are in Zone A or Zone B, the county has ordered you out. Check your zone here. Shelters are open at Davidson Middle School in Crestview (pet-friendly) and Raider Arena in Niceville. Bridges may close once sustained winds reach 40 mph, so if you are leaving, go early.
The next full advisory is at 4 a.m. Follow the storm on our Isaias storm center, and read the full NHC advisory here.
Written and reported by Emerald Coast Connected.