Hurricane Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, is expected to bring damaging winds, heavy rain and potentially life-threatening storm surge to the northern Gulf Coast when it makes landfall late Friday or early Saturday.

The governors of Florida, Alabama and Georgia have declared states of emergency, along with several Mississippi counties. Thousands of National Guard soldiers are being deployed.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Isaias is now Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, which forecasters consider a "major hurricane."

As of 11 a.m. ET, the storm was located about 145 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi. It is expected to approach the northern Gulf Coast this afternoon andmake landfall near the Alabama-Florida state line tonight.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for parts of Florida's Walton, Escambia, Okaloosa and Franklin counties. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also ordered nonresidents to evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.

Heavy rain and flooding could extend as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina through the weekend.

Follow live updates on Hurricane Isaias below.

Red marine warning flags are seen on Dauphin Island, Ala., early Friday.

Hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge warnings have been issued across portions of the northern Gulf Coast. Here's where they're in effect and what they mean, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane warning is in effect for:

Ocean Springs, Miss., to the Bay/Gulf County Line, Fla.

It means hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are expected somewhere within the warning area. It is typically issued 36 hours before the anticipated arrival of tropical-storm-force winds.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

The Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line in Louisiana to west of Ocean Springs, Miss.

East of the Bay/Gulf County Line to the Aucilla River, Fla.

It means tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.

A storm surge warning is in effect for:

The mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River, Fla.

It means there is a risk of "life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland" over the next 36 hours.

A storm surge watch is in effect for:

The Suwannee River to Yankeetown, Fla.

It means there is a possibility of inundation within 48 hours.

According to the most recent advisory from the National Hurricane Center, as of 11 a.m. ET:

Hurricane Isaias was about 145 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River

It had maximum sustained winds of 120 mph

It was moving north-northeast at 16 mph

Isaias is expected to approach the northern Gulf Coast this afternoon and make landfall somewhere near the Alabama-Florida line tonight.

"Fluctuations in intensity are possible through this afternoon, but Isaias is expected to be at or near major hurricane strength when it makes landfall this evening," the hurricane center said. "Weakening is expected beginning tonight after Isaias makes landfall, and the storm is likely to become post-tropical by late Saturday."

Weather officials across the northern Gulf Coast are urging residents to finish their storm preparations this morning ahead of Hurricane Isaias as conditions are expected to deteriorate.'

"Preparations should be rushed to completion as the weather will go downhill quickly today," the National Hurricane Center said early Friday. "While the storm is not expected to make landfall at peak intensity, it is likely that Isaias will still be a significant hurricane when it reaches the coast."

This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Isaias as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast early Friday.

At a news conference in Pensacola, Fla., early Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state is preparing for the possibility that Isaias remains a major hurricane when it makes landfall.

"We are taking this storm very, very seriously," DeSantis said. "This is going to be a major event in one way or another."

Some forecast models indicate that Hurricane Isaias, now a Category 3 storm, will weaken as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast.

"There are a lot of prognostications that it is going to weaken before landfall because of the significant wind shear," DeSantis said. "Let's hope that is the case, but we are planning to assume that will not happen and that it will make landfall as a major hurricane."

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaias has strengthened, with its maximum sustained winds increasing to 120 mph. It's now a Category 3 storm, which forecasters consider a "major" hurricane.

A Waffle House restaurant in Miami Gardens, Florida.

A Waffle House closing during a hurricane can signal serious trouble for the surrounding community.

The restaurant chain is known for staying open during extreme weather, so emergency officials have used its operating status as an informal indicator of storm damage, according to the Associated Press.

Known as the Waffle House Index, the system uses three color-coded levels to indicate conditions in storm-hit areas:

• Green means a restaurant is serving a full menu, a signal that damage in an area is limited and the lights are on

• Yellow means a limited menu, potentially indicating the restaurant is being powered by a generator or low food supplies

• Red means it's closed, potentially signaling severe damage or unsafe conditions

FEMA has unofficially used the index in the past to help identify communities that may need immediate assistance.

Craig Fugate, who ran FEMA under President Obama from 2009 to 2017, once said, "If you get there and the Waffle House is closed? That's really bad. That's where you go to work."

The National Hurricane Center's dedicated Storm Surge X account has posted a graphic showing storm surge warnings extending from the Mississippi to Suwanee Rivers, with up to 7 feet expected from Alabama's Dauphin Island to Indian Pass along the Florida Panhandle.

A storm surge warning means there is a "danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline somewhere within the specified area, generally within 36 hours," according to the NHC.

A person films the waves in Pensacola Beach, Fla., ahead of Hurricane Isaias.

Hurricane Isaias has formed as a stronger-than-normal El Niño has suppressed the Atlantic hurricane season.

El Niño is a naturally occurring weather phenomenon that forms when weakening trade winds warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific.

It makes it harder for storms to form and strengthen in the Atlantic. Hurricane Isaias, now approaching the northern Gulf Coast, became the latest-in-the-season first Atlantic hurricane to form since 1914.

El Niño's impact on reducing Atlantic hurricane activity has been linked to increased vertical "wind shear." (Wind shear describes how the wind changes speed and/or direction with height.)

The wind shear pushes the tops and middle of storms sideways, leaving them unable to form the circular eyewall they need to fully strengthen, according to the Associated Press.

"Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane ​of the Atlantic season, and ​the very slow and delayed season has indeed been fueled ‌by El Niño-induced wind shear," ​Donald Keeney, agricultural meteorologist ​at Vaisala Weather in Finland, told Reuters.

Hurricane Isaias is strengthening, and preparations should be "rushed to completion" as the weather will "go downhill quickly today," the National Hurricane Center has warned.

In its latest advisory, the NHC shared four key messages for those preparing for the approaching weather:

A life-threatening storm surge is expected from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River in Florida. Residents in the warning area are urged to follow advice from local officials and evacuate immediately if told to do so.

Damaging hurricane-force winds are expected over parts of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi. Residents should prepare for potential long-duration power outages.

Damaging wind gusts are possible over much of central and northern Alabama, extreme eastern Mississippi and portions of western and northern Georgia, especially in areas of higher terrain. Residents in these areas should secure loose outdoor items, avoid driving high-profile vehicles and prepare for power outages.

Isaias will bring areas of heavy rainfall to the central U.S. Gulf Coast and much of the Southeast through the weekend. Considerable flash and urban flooding, along with significant river flooding, will be possible.

An infographic shows how Hurricane Isaias is set to intensify as it reaches the U.S. Gulf Coast.

This graphic based on NOAA data shows the potential track of Hurricane Isaias as it moves north from the Gulf of Mexico.

The image shows Isaias is forecast to strengthen into a major hurricane, with winds above 110 mph, before weakening slightly as it nears the Gulf Coast.

It is then forecast to weaken to a tropical storm over Alabama and to a tropical depression as it moves northeast through Tennessee and Kentucky toward West Virginia.

Hurricane Isaias could test FEMA's ability to respond to disasters following significant staffing reductions, according to the Guardian.

More than 4,300 FEMA employees left the agency in fiscal year 2025, representing about 17% of its workforce, according to a Government Accountability Office report. The departures included dozens of senior officials, raising concerns about the loss of experienced personnel.

Chris Currie, a director at the Government Accountability Office, told the Guardian, "It's not whether FEMA is going to respond. They're going to respond. It's more about the depth."

Disaster survivors advocate Ginny Goldman described the hurricane as FEMA's "biggest test" since the staffing reductions.

A FEMA spokesperson said, "Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin's leadership, the safety of the American people is DHS's top priority. FEMA incident management assistance teams are deploying to Alabama and Florida, and FEMA personnel are embedded in state emergency operations centers. FEMA is also prepositioning emergency supplies at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Ala., to supplement state resources if requested."

Traffic came to a standstill on a highway leading out of Gulf Shores, Ala., Thursday, according to videos shared on social media, as residents and visitors prepared for the approaching storm.

Gov. Kay Ivey ordered non-residents to immediately evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island.

"Traffic is bumper-to-bumper right now leaving Gulf Shores, Alabama," Jaden Pappenheim wrote on Facebook.

People speaking at a sandbagged entrance of the Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant in Philadelphia amid Hurricane Irene preparations.

Several Atlantic hurricane names beginning with the letter "I" have been fatal and caused catastrophic damage in recent years.

In 2011, Hurricane Irene sent cars bobbing down rivers, swept away covered bridges, put millions in the dark and killed dozens of people, including six in Vermont.

Category 4 Hurricane Ian in 2022 was the third-costliest storm to hit the U.S., causing $119.6 billion in total, as it wreaked widespread damage across Florida.

But why do hurricanes starting with this letter have such a terrible track record?

Hurricanes starting with "I" typically occur in the middle of June 1-Nov. 30 season, when warming ocean waters can supercharge a storm's energy.

"It's the 'I' storm, which usually we have a lot earlier in the year," Kristen Corbosiero, a professor of atmospheric and environmental sciences at the University at Albany, told the Associated Press. "It's always the 'I' storms that seem to cause problems."

Isaias is an exception because it has arrived later than usual, in part because the current super El Niño weather pattern has reduced the number of Atlantic hurricanes this season.

Pensacola International Airport in Florida announced it "will close to commercial operations" at 10 a.m. CT on Friday due to the hurricane.

It is unclear when the airport will reopen.

In a statement, the airport said, "Passengers with travel plans during the closure should contact their airlines directly to reschedule their itineraries and confirm the latest flight information.

"Thank you for your patience. Stay safe, Pensacola!"

Hurricane Isaias is forecast to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast tonight or early Saturday

The governors of Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for dozens of counties

Hurricane-force winds are expected over areas of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi

After moving further inland, Isaias is forecast to weaken quickly, becoming a tropical storm over Alabama by early Saturday

A dangerous storm surge combined with the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded

Isaias is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest Georgia. Flash and urban flooding is likely across the region

One Minnesota couple was forced to abandon their planned beach wedding due to Isaias, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

Brooke and Devin Gertken had spent a year planning their wedding in Pensacola Beach, Florida, according to the website, but the approaching storm prevented their friend and officiant from flying in.

The couple instead headed to the Escambia County Courthouse, where they exchanged vows before government offices closed.

"Even though you plan and you did everything that you could, the weather is never probably going to listen to you," Brooke said. "But either way, it's always going to work out, and it's going to probably be better than you imagine it."

Oil and gas production has been impacted by the threat of Hurricane Isaias.

The U.S. Department of the Interior said the Marine Minerals Administration was "monitoring offshore operations and working with operators and state and federal partners."

Chevron and Shell were among the major oil companies to have begun shutting down some oil production sites.

The region accounts for almost 15% of crude pumped annually in the U.S.

About 63% of the oil production in the Gulf had been temporarily halted as of Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The Marine Minerals Administration said 121 of the Gulf's 371 manned oil platforms had been evacuated.

As NBC News reported, the timing of the hurricane compounds an existing issue, with the Iran war already disrupting energy supplies.

A new National Hurricane Center advisory says Hurricane Isaias has strengthened, with maximum sustained winds now at 110 mph, up from 105 mph.

The NHC says tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours somewhere in the tropical storm warning areas: the Jefferson-Plaquemines parish line in Louisiana to west of Ocean Springs, Miss., and east of the Bay-Gulf county line to the Aucilla River in Florida.

A tornado risk will begin late Friday afternoon, and continue tonight in the coastal areas of Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and far southwest Georgia, the advisory said. It will continue Saturday across parts of eastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Landfall is expected tonight or early Saturday, with Isaias likely to become a major hurricane this morning before weakening again as it approaches the coast.

David Schisle, Courtney Head, and Donald Knapp place plywood over the windows of Mr. Knapp's Islander Ice Cream restaurant in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Residents boarded up windows as thousands of National Guard soldiers prepared to deploy ahead of Hurricane Isaias.

Coastal communities rushed to prepare as Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered nonresidents to evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island. According to the Associated Press, traffic backed up on a highway leading out of Gulf Shores, where beaches were closed to swimmers.

On Dauphin Island, officials also encouraged voluntary evacuations, particularly in low-lying areas vulnerable to storm surge. Mayor Jeff Collier said he did not anticipate substantial damage, "but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst."