Tropical Storm Isaias was gathering strength in the Gulf on Wednesday and was poised to become the Atlantic’s first hurricane of 2026 on Thursday.
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting Isaias to possibly strengthen to a Category 2 hurricane but then weaken before moving onto the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane and storm surge watches were in effect for coastal Alabama as well as inland, and tropical storm watches were also expanded inland as well.
The first hurricane of the year -- and the first hurricane to affect the United States -- is bound to get a lot of attention from all sectors.
Here’s a small sampling of an unscientific mix of what some (famous and not-so famous) were saying (both serious and decidedly unserious) about Isaias as of Wednesday:
📷6pm 10/07 Update - No significant changes to the track or intensity forecasts. Isaias is forecast to strengthen into a strong hurricane over the central Gulf and will likely remain a SIGNIFICANT hurricane as it makes landfall along the north central Gulf Coast Friday night. pic.twitter.com/3GpLWC1DWD
— NWS Mobile (@NWSMobile) October 7, 2026
ISAIAS LATE THIS AFTERNOON: Winds have increased to 65 mph, and Isaias should be a hurricane late tonight or early tomorrow morning. The center is now about 500 miles south/southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, it is moving to the east/northeast at 8 mph.
— James Spann (@spann) October 7, 2026
The updated... pic.twitter.com/m6EEwBcFf2
EAST SHIFT - My confidence is growing that #Isaias will make landfall along the beaches of Alabama & the Florida Panhandle on Friday night. Pensacola is the bullseye, but my gut says a little east of there. This will be the worst hurricane to hit this area since Sally in 2020.... pic.twitter.com/xQznC8fj3a
— Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) October 7, 2026
#isaias is a hurricane in the making this evening. Hurricane hunter data supports this as well. Still some questions surround final intesity and track, but MS to FL seem like good goal posts especially given consensus guidance with an edge to the AI models. Remember impacts... pic.twitter.com/Z6C0mH2XvY
— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) October 7, 2026
Is this a sign @spann? pic.twitter.com/vTHjXjyE7g
— Alabama Outsider (@AlabamaOutsider) October 6, 2026
Jim Cantore just landed in Pensacola.
— Stupid Girl From Alabama (@deannkh10) October 7, 2026
That’s the sign to get in your car and head North for everyone from Gulf Shores to Navarre. 😳
#HurricaneIsaias pic.twitter.com/VFDBtnYXEY
Gas line in Pensacola, Florida ahead of Tropical Storms Isaias which is expected to become a hurricane shortly. pic.twitter.com/ridJdtIT3v
— WxChasing- Brandon Clement (@bclemms) October 7, 2026
We wanted hoodie weather... not evacuate your hood weather 😭😂 pic.twitter.com/dbsAYN1PA0
— All Things Emerald Coast (@AllEmeraldCoast) October 7, 2026
Best meme of the week so far... 😆🤣 pic.twitter.com/PMzHJjRKmo
— Bobby (@BobbyWilson1004) October 7, 2026
ISAIAS STRENGTHENING; PREPARE NOW FOR BIG IMPACTS BEING POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY... The warm waters of the south-central Gulf are providing fuel for Tropical Storm Isaias to continue to strengthen on this Wednesday evening. At 4PM, the National Hurricane Center... pic.twitter.com/pxtWvyyHd6
— Spinks Megginson (@rzweather) October 7, 2026
We’re breaking out the pole!
— Mike Bettes (@mikebettes) October 7, 2026
Join us on @weatherchannel 6-10pm ET tonight as be go city by city showing you the storm surge forecast from #Isaias pic.twitter.com/3PKvDumNeZ
Me watching the game Saturday pic.twitter.com/9ZtR1Ft1DW
— South Alabama Belle (@SAlabamabelles) October 7, 2026
4PM🆕: Here is a closer look at the track of #Isaias as it inches closer to us ... both hurricane watches (pink) and tropical storm (orange) watches have been issued for parts of south Alabama 🌀
— Amanda Curran ☼ (@amanduh_curran) October 7, 2026
Governor Kay Ivey has also issued a state of emergency for 40 counties! pic.twitter.com/aHMtdhoJdO
Google DeepMind models continue to be to the east of the official forecast. DeepMind stretches from Gulf Shores on the west to Panama City on the east. https://t.co/zh5rjOH8qb
— Spinks Megginson (@rzweather) October 7, 2026
HEADS UP: Isaias continues to slowly gain strength over the Gulf; the storm is forecast to reach hurricane strength tomorrow, then head towards Alabama Friday into Saturday. New details on timing, threats & impacts from AEMA Meteorologist Jim Stefkovich: https://t.co/kBtDzNEIZU pic.twitter.com/ObRHd4FzSx
— Alabama EMA (@AlabamaEMA) October 7, 2026
You can make out where the "eye" will likely form from Isaias ... as a period of rapid intensification seems likely over the very warm southern Gulf near the Yucatan Peninsula.
— Ryan Maue (@RyanWeather) October 7, 2026
This is the ultimate "gas station" for hurricanes with unlimited high octane "ocean fuel" ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/lX4u61s0ju
Tropical Storm #Isaias's pressure is down to 994 mb - the lowest for an Atlantic named storm so far this year. 994 mb is not a particularly low pressure... it highlights just how quiet the Atlantic season has been to date! pic.twitter.com/1Q8MNxGpKN
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) October 7, 2026
4:00 PM ISDIAIS UPDATE
— Rich Thomas (@RichThomasWX) October 7, 2026
Hurricane watch continues along the northern Gulf coast from Bay St. Louis to Indian River, Florida including the Alabama coast. Storm surge watch continues. Mandatory evacuations of condos on the Alabama coast have now begun. Intensification continues.... pic.twitter.com/Q7jMDRefWA
Tropical Storm #Isaias continues to strengthen. Latest view from satellite: pic.twitter.com/Z89iHFenZk
— Zoom Earth (@zoom_earth) October 7, 2026
4 PM #Isaias Update
— Dave Nussbaum (@Dave_Nussbaum) October 7, 2026
The storm is strengthening, with winds up to 65 mph and the pressure down to 994 mb.
It is expected to strengthen rapidly over the next couple of days. Isaias is moving over very warm Gulf waters under relatively favorable conditions for intensification, and... pic.twitter.com/rosAFcUcfD
Forget models and spaghetti plots.
— Jared Rennie (@jjrennie) October 7, 2026
This should be your number one tool when looking at #Isaías https://t.co/ji8NdwNhm3
Threats and Impacts tool that shows threats can and WILL happen outside of the cone pic.twitter.com/801MuyBcC8
There's now a Hurricane Watch from Bay Saint Louis #Mississippi to Indian Pass #Florida (pink). Latest NHC forecast track (red) brings center of #ISAIAS ashore near #Alabama-Florida state line late Friday night as Category 2 #hurricane. Start preparing. pic.twitter.com/0dlOpaIAqV
— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) October 7, 2026
I agree that a wait and see approach is best with the regional hurricane models here. They're much slower and weaker than last night, while Google DeepMind is relatively consistent https://t.co/PDejljQ1KW pic.twitter.com/oJqHzdtT7f
— Jeff Frame (@VORTEXJeff) October 7, 2026
MORE BY LEIGH MORGAN
For those that are following the Google Deep Mind Model, the latest suite continues to be to the right of the current NHC Forecast Track...which remains the standard we continue to follow given all the other tropical guidance accompanied by NHC human anaylsis.
— Rob Perillo (@robperillo) October 7, 2026
Isaias is expected... pic.twitter.com/4AphRmFttV
ISAIAS will officially become the latest *first* hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin... nearly a an entire month after the previous record holder. An enormous statistical outlier will come to an end by tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/gfA0kapHZE
— Noah Bergren (@NbergWX) October 7, 2026
Latest Wednesday noon spaghetti models and NHC cone. NHC track has been nudging east each update. EURO (red) has constantly been the western outlier and is now outside the NHC cone. Google DeepMind (purple) has been the eastern outlier and seems others are starting to follow.... pic.twitter.com/CbAU869NIn
— Mike's Weather Page (@tropicalupdate) October 7, 2026
