Gulf Coast braces for impact from ‘strong hurricane’ Isaias

Tropical Storm Isaias is forecast to strengthen into a strong hurricane before making landfall Friday somewhere between Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Indian Pass, Florida, bringing an 8-foot storm surge and the threat of flooding to Gulf Shores and nearby coastal Alabama. Organizers canceled the 53rd annual National Shrimp Festival, which normally draws up to 200,000 people and over 150 vendors.

Vendor Tina Ferris packed up before the gates even opened, expecting to lose out on roughly $15,000 in weekend sales. A family of 33 gathered for a reunion in Gulf Shores was weighing an early evacuation, more concerned about stranded vehicles than the house itself.

Elsewhere in the state, ESPN's College GameDay and the Alabama-Georgia matchup in Tuscaloosa, along with a Zach Bryan concert in Auburn, remained scheduled as of Wednesday despite forecasts of heavy rain and high winds in both cities. A National Weather Service meteorologist flagged increased concern for tornadoes east of the storm's eye.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.