Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a major Category 3 storm Friday as it barreled toward more than 3 million people along the US Gulf Coast, with top winds reaching 120 miles per hour. The storm was about 195 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, and expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday along the Alabama-Florida coast. Storm surge and tropical storm warnings extended west into Louisiana, with the hurricane forecast to push up to 9 feet of water ashore. Shore-based radar now sees Isaias’ eye, prompting the National Hurricane Center to issue hourly updates.
The hurricane disrupted energy production, with roughly 63% of US Gulf of Mexico crude output shut in and nearly 500,000 barrels a day of refining capacity in or near the storm’s path. Three fuel-making facilities, including Chevron Corp.’s 356,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi, are in the projected path. US oil prices rose as much as 5.6% on Thursday due to evacuations and rig movements. Natural gas production also fell, with about 57% of regional output shut in.
Florida suspended tolls on bridges in Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties to aid evacuations, while Governor Ron De Santis declared a state of emergency in 27 counties. After landfall, Isaias is forecast to race across Alabama and into the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, bringing 8 to 12 inches of rain. On the eastern side, up to 8 inches may fall across parts of the Carolinas, including areas previously flooded by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Duke Energy’s Florida utility said crews are ready to restore power as soon as conditions allow.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing