--- title: What You Need to Know About Hurricane Isaias description: The Atlantic has its first hurricane of the season. Here's where Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall and how El Niño is impacting the storm. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/10/08/hurricane-isaias-what-to-know/ author: Simmone Shah article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-10-08T19:28:57.185Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T19:28:57.385Z article:section: Climate og:title: What You Need to Know About Hurricane Isaias og:description: The Atlantic has its first hurricane of the season. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/10/08/hurricane-isaias-what-to-know/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt632e1a09aa26873f/6ac7d3c16f75d51103816b3a/hurricaine-isiais.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: hurricaine-isiais.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: What You Need to Know About Hurricane Isaias twitter:description: The Atlantic has its first hurricane of the season. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt632e1a09aa26873f/6ac7d3c16f75d51103816b3a/hurricaine-isiais.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Atlantic Has Its First Hurricane of the Season. Here's What To Know > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=fed58e41-dd66-4469-9545-a9047b1fbfaf&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1)  by [Simmone Shah](https://time.com/author/simmone-shah/)  ## Simmone Shah Reporter Oct 8, 2026 7:28 PM UTC  David Schisler and Courtney Head place plywood over the windows of the Islander Ice Cream restaurant as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Isaias on Oct. 8, 2026 in Gulf Breeze, Fla. David Schisler and Courtney Head place plywood over the windows of the Islander Ice Cream restaurant as they prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Isaias on Oct. 8, 2026 in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  by [Simmone Shah](https://time.com/author/simmone-shah/)  ## Simmone Shah Reporter Oct 8, 2026 7:28 PM UTC A storm is heading towards the gulf coast, ending what was a quiet start to the Atlantic [hurricane](https://time.com/6218275/strongest-hurricanes-us-map/) season. Tropical storm Isaias intensified into a hurricane early Thursday morning—making it the first [hurricane](https://time.com/5874807/hurricanes-history/) four months into the Atlantic season. Currently a strong [Category 2](https://time.com/4946730/hurricane-categories/) hurricane, Isaias could reach Category 3 before making landfall sometime in the next two days. Here’s what to know. ## What areas are in Hurricane Isaias’s path? The storm is expected to make landfall along the central Gulf Coast on Friday night or early Saturday, bringing the threat of heavy rain and flash flooding to the regions in its path. A hurricane warning is currently in place from Ocean Springs, Miss., to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida. Some coastal residents of Florida’s Okaloosa County have been put under evacuation order. Officials have also asked out-of-town visitors to leave the impacted area, and all three county airports are scheduled to close Thursday evening. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 25 counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey also issued a state of emergency for 40 counties. And the state’s 53rd Annual National Shrimp Festival, set to take place in Gulf Shores, Ala., was cancelled due to the storm. Oil companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico have begun cutting production and evacuating non-essential personnel from facilities in preparation for the storm. It’s a risky time to be slowing down production. America’s emergency oil stockpile is at the lowest level since 1982 as the war in Iran has squeezed the supply chain and pushed up prices. ## Why has it been a “quiet” Atlantic hurricane season? It’s been a relatively quiet hurricane season along the Atlantic. Hurricane Isaias now holds the record as the latest forming first hurricane in the Atlantic Basin—breaking the previous record set in 1905 by Hurricane Four by a mere three and a half hours, according to [Accuweather](https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/isaias-strengthens-into-atlantics-first-hurricane-and-will-reach-us-coast-early-this-weekend/1942566). Isaias is the ninth named storm of the Atlantic season—and the first to reach hurricane strength. The lull is attributable to El Niño. The phenomenon increases vertical wind shear across the Atlantic, making it harder for thunderstorms to turn into hurricanes. It also temporarily warms up the Pacific Ocean—which often leads to more hurricane activity on a coast that doesn’t typically see a lot of hurricanes. There have been a number of hurricanes in the Pacific this year. By Sept. [28](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/powerful-storms-continue-to-prowl-the-pacific/), the number of named storms in the region was at 20, with nine reaching hurricane strength. ## Will El Niño intensify the storm? El Niño is not likely to intensify the storm. In fact, it often has the opposite effect, weakening hurricane activity along the Atlantic. Even still—the storm’s impact will be felt. The National Hurricane Center [said](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/080253.shtml?) on Thursday morning that the storm is expected to "remain a dangerous hurricane through landfall.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/10/08/hurricane-isaias-what-to-know/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/10/08/hurricane-isaias-what-to-know/"},"headline":"The Atlantic Has Its First Hurricane of the Season. 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