Hurricane Isaias Hits Gulf Coast as Category 3; Alabama-Georgia Game Set to Proceed
Hurricane Isaias, a Category 3 storm, battered the Gulf Coast with strong winds, heavy rain and tornado risk, while officials kept the Alabama-Georgia football game on schedule.
As Hurricane Isaias maintained Category 3 intensity with sustained winds of 115 mph, Gulf Coast states prepared for severe weather. Governor Kay Ivey issued a supplemental emergency proclamation in Alabama, highlighted inland wind and tornado hazards, and noted about 13,000 power outages in Mobile County, while Baldwin County warned of dangerous surf and offered transit to shelters. In the Florida Panhandle, over 16,000 customers were without electricity, multiple highways were shut, and Governor Ron DeSantis urged pet owners to use animal-friendly shelters, citing the state's 2025 Trooper’s Law.
Mississippi emergency officials opened shelters across several counties, distributed 4,000 sandbags and reminded residents to ready supplies. The Alabama-Georgia football game in Tuscaloosa stayed on the 6:30 p.m. schedule, with SEC officials and both schools monitoring conditions; President Donald Trump cancelled his appearance, and a journalist at one outlet planned to broadcast from Coleman Coliseum. Overall, authorities continued to stress preparedness as the storm moved toward an expected landfall in the Florida Panhandle.
Why it matters
The storm threatens millions of residents and major infrastructure while a high-profile football game proceeds amid safety concerns.
How this story developed
- Oct 5 Rainy week ahead for Tampa Bay as cold front stalls and Gulf system develops
- Oct 7 The National Hurricane Center now expects Isaias to intensify into a hurricane before Gulf Coast landfall.
- Oct 8 The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from Bay St. Louis to Indian Pass and a hurricane warning for the Alabama coast.
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