Hurricane Isaias closes in on US Gulf Coast

Hurricane Isaias is nearing landfall on the US Gulf Coast, prompting emergency declarations in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. The National Weather Service has issued a rare extreme wind warning for the western Florida Panhandle, warning residents to treat the situation as if a tornado was approaching. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) has also warned of the possibility of long-duration power outages.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has reported that Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph on Friday evening, down from 120mph at mid-morning. The NHC also stated that Isaias was about 45 miles south of Pensacola, Florida, and headed north at 18mph.

Alabama's governor, Kay Ivey, has ordered non-residents to immediately evacuate Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach, while officials have encouraged voluntary evacuations for residents. Ivey has declared a state of emergency for 40 counties in Alabama, while Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has declared a state of emergency in 27 counties.

Several cities and counties in south Mississippi have also declared states of emergency. DeSantis has stated that 5,000 national guard troops are expected to mobilize in Florida, where at least four school districts have cancelled late-week classes.

The NHC has warned that Isaias could dump up to 15in (380mm) of rain on coastal areas and even spawn tornadoes overnight on Friday into Saturday from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle and south-western Georgia.

The National Weather Service has issued a storm surge warning for the western Florida Panhandle, with a storm surge expected from south-east Louisiana to Suwannee, in north-east Florida.