Isaias strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season late Wednesday night and is nearing the U.S. Gulf Coast, including the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center reports. 

Forecasters warned that Isaias was on track to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane between Bay St. Louis, Mississippi and Indian Pass, Florida. Late Wednesday night the National Weather Service issued an advisory that upgraded the Hurricane Watch to a Hurricane Warning from Ocean Springs, Mississippi to the Bay/Gulf County line in Florida. 

The hurricane center also upgraded the Storm Surge Watch to a Storm Surge Warning from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Steinhatchee River in Florida. 

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 36 hours. 

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from west of Ocean Springs to the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish Line in Louisiana and east of the Bay/Gulf County Line to the Aucilla River in Florida. 

The hurricane center reports that Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall along the northern U.S. Gulf Coast within the warning area late Friday or early Saturday. 

The following cities and counties along the Mississippi Gulf Coast have declared a state of emergency: 

  • Harrison County 
  • Jackson County
  • Biloxi
  • Gautier 
  • Gulfport 
  • Moss Point 
  • Ocean Springs 
  • Pass Christian 

Here are some ways to prepare for an incoming tropical storm or hurricane. 

Make a Plan 

Before the storm makes landfall, it’s important to have a clear evacuation plan and an agreed upon meeting point outside the home, local emergency officials explained. This will help ensure that household members can find one another if they are separated and digital communications are compromised. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends creating a Family Emergency Communication Plan. 

“We all have this device in our hands that’s instant information. But during a storm event, communications can fail,” said Stephen McCraney, the executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. “Just having a simple plan … is going to have a big payoff.”

A map illustration of the expected storm surge levels on the U.S. Gulf Coast
This map illustration shows the estimated peak storm surge levels across the U.S. Gulf Coast. Map courtesy the National Hurricane Center

Even after the storm subsides, communities along the coast should avoid letting their guard down, since flooding and other hazardous conditions could persist —and even intensify—days after the severe weather has passed through, officials said.

“The storm is going to go straight up north, so it’s going to dump water and extra rain into every tributary, every creek, everything … that’s always going to end up back down on the coast,” McCraney explained. This could result in delayed flooding and other “lingering effects” for coastal communities, he added.

The Mississippi Hurricane Plan reports the following risks associated with a Category 2 hurricane: 

  • Extremely dangerous winds can cause extensive damage
  • Well-constructed framed homes could sustain major roof and siding damage 
  • Many trees with shallow roots can be uprooted and block roads 
  • Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from days to weeks   

Pack Essential Items

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends assembling a three to five-day hurricane disaster supply kit. 

Emergency kits should contain: 

  • Flashlights 
  • Battery powered radio and back up batteries 
  • Bottled water 
  • Toiletry and hygiene items 
  • Pet food and pet supplies
  • Medicine and prescription medication 
  • Important documents 
  • Phone charger 
  • First Aid Kit 
  • Cash 

Be Prepared for a Potential Power Outage

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends preparing ahead of the storm for potential power outages. 

In the event of a power outage: 

  • Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. Food in a refrigerator will stay cold for around four hours and food in a freezer will stay cold for around 48 hours. 
  • Charge your cellphone and other electronic devices ahead of the storm. 
  • Have plans on how to manage medicines that need refrigerated or electronic medical devices. 
  • Do not heat your home with a gas stove. 
  • Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges. 
  • Use generators outdoors and away from windows. 

Isaias is currently expected to develop into a Category 2 Hurricane by the time it makes landfall. Based on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, the Mississippi Hurricane Plan reports a Category 2 hurricane brings 96-110 mph winds and can result in power outages lasting several days to weeks. 

Monitor Watches and Warnings 

Watches are issued 48 hours ahead of anticipated onset and warnings are issued 36 hours ahead of predicted onset. 

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends the following actions during a Watch: 

  • Prepare your home 
  • Review your evacuation plan 
  • Organize your disaster preparedness kit 
  • Stay up to date with the weather forecast 

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends the following actions during a Warning: 

  • Finish storm preparations 
  • Evacuate if directed by local officials 
  • Make sure your disaster preparedness kit is ready to go

Be Ready to Evacuate If Necessary

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends evacuation under the following conditions: 

  • If you are directed by local authorities to evacuate
  • If you live in a mobile home or temporary structure 
  • If you live in a high rise building 
  • If you live on the coast, in a floodplain, near a river or other inland waterway 
  • If you think you are in danger 
a map showing hurricane evacuation routes
The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency recommends evacuation via the displayed routes if directed by local authorities. Courtesy of Mississippi Emergency Management Agency

During an emergency evacuation orders will be announced through emergency messaging systems, the county’s social media accounts and website and through press releases sent to local media. 

For more information on evacuation protocols for your county you can check the evacuation zone maps and shelter locations here: 

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Amy Schafer is the Mississippi Free Press' Gulf Coast bureau reporter in partnership with Report for America. A 2026 graduate of Pennsylvania State University's Schreyer Honors College, she holds degrees in advertising/public relations, global and international studies with a concentration in human rights and women's, gender and sexuality studies. Before joining MFP, she served as editor-in-chief of Penn State's student newspaper The Daily Collegian and freelanced for The Washington Post.

Environmental Reporter Illan Ireland is Mississippi Free Press’s bilingual environmental reporter in partnership with Report for America. Prior to joining the Mississippi Free Press, he completed a fellowship with The Futuro Media Group in New York City, taking on projects related to public health, climate change and housing insecurity. His freelance work has appeared in City Limits and various Futuro Media properties. Illan holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an M.S. from the Columbia Journalism School, where he spent a year covering the drug overdose crisis unfolding in New York City. He’s a Chicago native, a proud Mexican American and a lover of movies, soccer and unreasonably spicy foods. You can reach him at illan@mississippifreepress.org.