Gulf Coast braces for impact from ‘strong hurricane’ Isaias

Several major events were canceled or threatened by Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to strengthen before landfall Friday.GULF SHORES, Ala. (CN) — There were few signs of an approaching hurricane along the coast of Alabama on Wednesday morning. The red flags flying at lifeguard stations indicated dangerous surf but the sun was bright, the breeze was light, the air was warm and several hundred people lounged and played in the sand on the main public beach.But across the street, officials reluctantly pulled the plug on the 53rd annual National Shrimp Festival, which attracts more than 200,000 people to the city to celebrate the crustacean and the arts, both of which are prepared and served by more than 170 vendors who travel to participate.According to the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to strengthen into a “strong hurricane” before it makes landfall somewhere between Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Indian Pass, Florida, on Friday. The storm will bring an 8-foot storm surge, heavy rain and wind to parts of the area, possibly flooding Gulf Shores and other coastal areas.At the shrimp festival, candle artist Tina Ferris set up her booth early in a prime spot with expectations of earning at least $15,000 in sales over the weekend. But before the gates even opened, she was packing up her merchandise with her husband and preparing to go back to their home in Tuscaloosa.“We’ve been coming every year for years and we’ve had some weather delays and cancellations before, but this hurricane came out of nowhere and this is the first time our entire weekend has been blown up,” she said. “I think people would want to buy candles if the power goes out,” she joked, “but I understand you can’t manage the festival around one individual. You have to do what’s best for everybody.”Candle maker Tina Farris packs up her booth after the cancellation of the 53rd annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama due to the threat from Tropical Storm Isaias on October 7, 2026. (Gabriel Tynes/Courthouse News Service)On the beach, Christina Nguyen and her sister Amy Cottrell were watching some of their kids play a net game called Slammo while others walked in the ankle-deep water along the edge of the surf. Their extended family — 33 of them — had come from all over the country for a reunion in an 11-bedroom house in Gulf Shores. They were originally scheduled to stay until Sunday, but were still deciding whether to wait it out or evacuate early.“I think the consensus is growing that we’re going to leave tomorrow,” Nguyen said, adding that she wasn’t worried about accommodations as much as the family’s vehicles becoming stranded or flooded. “We don’t want to get stuck and if it does get bad, I don’t want to regret staying.”Elsewhere across the state, ESPN’s College GameDay was expected to be in Tuscaloosa on Saturday for the matchup between the No. 6 Crimson Tide and the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs. The area around Bryant Denny Stadium is forecast to see up to 3 inches of rain and 35 mph wind gusts at game time, but no announcement had been made about postponement or cancellation as of midday Wednesday.Similarly, no changes have been announced to the final stop of country music superstar Zach Bryan’s tour in Auburn’s Jordan Hare Stadium Saturday night, where conditions may be similar to those in Tuscaloosa.“It is looking like it will be a significant hurricane when it reaches the coast late Friday night into early Saturday morning,” said Joe Maniscalco, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Mobile. “There is becoming an increased concern for significant impacts to the local area, including tornadoes to the east of the eye."It has been a quiet hurricane season in the region with no U.S. landfall for Atlantic hurricanes, but Maniscalco said an October storm is not unusual and it’s important to remember that hurricane season doesn’t end until Nov. 30.“That’s why we tell folks to always be prepared,” he said.Categories / Regional, WeatherSubscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads