Florida is on alert as a once-quiet hurricane season suddenly comes roaring to life.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 25 Florida counties Tuesday as a developing Gulf system threatened the Panhandle and Big Bend, WFLA 8 reported. That system has since strengthened into Tropical Storm Isaias, and forecasters say it could become the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026.
According to The Associated Press, Isaias formed early Wednesday with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and moved east-northeast at 8 mph.
The storm could make landfall late Friday somewhere between eastern Louisiana and the western Florida Panhandle, though its exact path remains uncertain, WFLA reported.
Florida isn’t waiting around to find out.
“This order will allow the Florida Division of Emergency Management to stage critical preparedness resources and ensure Florida is ready to respond,” DeSantis said in a statement released by his office.
“Floridians should take this time to get disaster plans in place and ensure their hurricane supply kit is stocked,” he added.
The governor’s office said emergency teams are already mobilizing resources in Tallahassee and the Santa Rosa area, including generators, fuel, water, meals, flood barriers, tarps and sandbags.
To order Jonathan Cahn’s new book, The Altar of Pergamon, visit Amazon.com.
State officials are warning that North Florida could face heavy rainfall, coastal flooding, strong winds, and isolated tornadoes. After an unusually quiet Atlantic hurricane season, Florida has a fresh reminder that October does not mean the threat is over.
The Gulf is stirring, Isaias is strengthening, and for Floridians in its potential path, the time to prepare is now.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
