Hurricane Isaias lashes U.S. Gulf Coast with wind and rain hours before it comes ashore

The Category 3 storm has grown into a major hurricane — the first of an unusually quiet Atlantic season — and is expected to make landfall Friday nightHomeowners gassed up generators, filled bathtubs with water and bought last-minute supplies along the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday (October 9, 2026) while Hurricane Isaias gained strength as it charged toward the beaches of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.