Tropical Storm Isaias formed early Wednesday over warm waters near eastern Mexico and is forecast to strengthen in the coming days. Forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said the storm could become the Atlantic season’s first hurricane before reaching portions of the U.S. Gulf Coast later this week.
As of Wednesday morning, Isaias was located west of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving east-northeast. Officials were still unable to determine an exact landfall location, but early projections suggested the storm could come ashore somewhere between eastern Louisiana and the western Florida Panhandle.
Forecasters warned of the potential for dangerous winds and storm surge along parts of the northern Gulf Coast. Residents in areas that could be affected were encouraged to stay informed through updated forecasts and review hurricane preparedness plans.
In addition to coastal impacts, Isaias is expected to bring periods of heavy rainfall across portions of the Gulf Coast and much of the southeastern United States from Friday into the weekend, perhaps bringing some soaking rains to parts of Kentucky.
The storm arrives during a relatively quiet Atlantic hurricane season, a pattern forecasters have attributed in part to a strong El Niño, which can suppress tropical storm development in the Atlantic basin.