Hurricane Isaias grew stronger, becoming a Category 3 hurricane on Friday morning, with winds hitting 120 mph as it moved toward the northern Gulf Coast. This poses a risk of life-threatening storm surge and could disrupt offshore oil and gas operations.
The National Hurricane Center announced this upgrade in a tropical cyclone update at 7:20 a.m. CDT, based on new information from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft.
The aircraft recorded maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (195 km/h), with even stronger gusts, and a minimum central pressure of 959 millibars.
At the time of the report, Isaias was about 240 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, moving north-northeast at 15 mph.
The storm is expected to turn north later on Friday and could make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast either Friday night or early Saturday.
This intensification comes as offshore energy companies have already shut down nearly two-thirds of oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and evacuated staff from several offshore facilities.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement reported that about 62.9% of Gulf oil production, which is around 1.28 million barrels per day, was shut down as of Thursday. Natural gas production has also dropped by 57.4%.
Staff members have been evacuated from 121 production platforms, which is almost one-third of the Gulf's 371 manned facilities. Additionally, five drilling rigs have been evacuated and four dynamically positioned rigs have relocated.
Major offshore companies like Shell, Chevron, and BP have reduced operations and evacuated workers from facilities along the storm's path.
These production cuts are putting more pressure on global oil markets, which are already facing issues with disrupted shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and rising tensions in the Middle East.
At the same time, the NHC has warned of potentially severe impacts on the coast as Isaias approaches landfall.
A hurricane warning remains in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida. A storm surge warning covers the area from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River in Florida.
The highest risk for storm surge is along the Alabama-Florida border going east to Grayton Beach, Florida, where water levels could rise 6 to 9 feet above normally dry land. Other parts of the northern Gulf Coast may see storm surges of 3 to 7 feet.
Hurricane-force winds extend up to 30 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds reach as far as 185 miles, creating dangerous conditions across a vast area in the northern Gulf.
Forecasters are also warning that 4 to 8 inches of rain could fall in southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Florida's Big Bend region, and southwest Georgia, with some areas possibly getting up to 15 inches. Flash flooding, significant river flooding, and tornadoes are likely over the weekend.
The NHC has urged residents in areas under hurricane and storm surge warnings to finish their preparations as soon as possible, alerting them that dangerous conditions will start impacting the coast on Friday.
The next full advisory will be released at 10 a.m. CDT.