Atlantic Is Quiet After Hurricane Isaias
UNITED STATES · WEATHER
Key Facts
- The country The United States: Gulf Coast states from Louisiana to Florida, plus Alabama and Mississippi.
- What happened Hurricane Isaias hit the Florida Panhandle on 9 October after peaking at 120 mph (195 km/h), Category 3.
- Now On 28 October the National Hurricane Center lists no active Atlantic storm and expects none for seven days.
- Season Ten named storms so far in 2026, one hurricane. The Atlantic season officially ends on 30 November.
- Elsewhere Tropical Storm Vance, off Mexico’s Pacific coast, is expected to fade to a remnant low on Thursday.
Hurricane Isaias is not threatening the United States tonight, because the storm behind the alarming headlines is already over. On Wednesday 28 October 2026 the National Hurricane Center (NHC), the US government’s storm forecaster in Miami, lists no active storm in the Atlantic.
The storm did reach Category 3 and hit the US Gulf Coast, but that was on Friday 9 October. It dissipated over West Virginia by 11 October, and our earlier report on the approaching storm has the build-up.
In Plain English
The Saffir-Simpson scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5 by wind speed. Category 3 starts at 111 mph (178 km/h), the lowest rating that counts as a major hurricane.
The Gulf of America is the name the US government uses for the Gulf of Mexico. Storm surge is the wall of sea water a hurricane pushes onto land, and it floods coastal streets and homes.
What Happened to Hurricane Isaias
Isaias formed in the western Gulf of America on Tuesday 6 October. At 10 am on Friday 9 October the NHC put its winds at 120 mph (195 km/h), Category 3, south of Pensacola, Florida.
Storm surge warnings ran from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River in Florida. Hurricane warnings covered the coast from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay and Gulf county line in Florida.
The NHC first forecast water 6 to 9 feet (about 2 to 3 metres) above ground near the Alabama-Florida border. By its 10 pm advisory it had cut that to 3 to 5 feet (about 1 to 1.5 metres).
The centre came ashore on the western Florida Panhandle on the evening of Friday 9 October. By 4 am on Saturday 10 October it was a post-tropical cyclone near Montgomery, Alabama.
Why the Quiet Matters
Hurricane Isaias was the only hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season so far, and the only major one. The NHC’s season table, updated on 28 October, counts 10 named storms, one hurricane and one major hurricane.
That is three, five and two below the 1991-2020 normal, and total storm energy is 83% below normal. The NHC’s seven-day outlook of 2 pm Eastern Time on 28 October says formation of a tropical cyclone is not expected.
The only active storm on the NHC’s East Pacific list is Tropical Storm Vance, which our earlier report followed as a hurricane. At 8 am Mountain Time its winds were 40 mph (65 km/h), about 240 miles (390 km) west-southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico.
What It Means for You
For travellers, shippers and energy firms on the Gulf Coast, the NHC outlook shows no Atlantic storm to plan around for seven days. Its own advice is to check hurricanes.gov and the local National Weather Service office, because an outlook can change within hours.
Residents of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi hit by Hurricane Isaias should rely on local emergency offices and their insurers for recovery help. The NHC advisories do not cover damage or claims.
Visitors to Mexico’s west coast and southern Baja California should expect rough surf and rip currents from Vance’s swells. The NHC expects Vance to weaken to a remnant low by Thursday 29 October, with no coastal watches in effect.
What Is Not Known
The NHC has not yet published its tropical cyclone report, so the exact landfall point and wind speed at the coast are not final. Its season table lists no deaths or damage figure for Hurricane Isaias as of 28 October.
The NHC advisories do not say how much Gulf oil and gas output or how many ports were shut. Those numbers belong to US offshore regulators and port authorities, and we have not confirmed any figure.
The official name is Isaias, spelled with an s, though many readers search for Isaiah. The NHC does not rule out a late-season storm, and it issues a new outlook every few hours.
More: North America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hurricane Isaiah going to hit the US now?
No, the storm is over. Isaias hit the Florida Panhandle on 9 October 2026, and the NHC lists no active Atlantic storm today.
How strong was Hurricane Isaias?
Its winds peaked at 120 mph (195 km/h), Category 3 of 5, with a minimum pressure of 959 millibars. By 10 pm local time on 9 October they had dropped to 90 mph (150 km/h).
Are more hurricanes expected this season?
The NHC outlook of 28 October says no tropical cyclone formation is expected in the next seven days. The Atlantic hurricane season runs until 30 November, so forecasters keep watching.
Sources: National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaias Advisory 12 (9 October 2026), 9 October 2026; National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Isaias Advisory 14 (9 October 2026), 9 October 2026; National Hurricane Center, Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias Advisory 15 (10 October 2026), 10 October 2026; Weather Prediction Center, Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias Advisory 20 (11 October 2026), 11 October 2026; National Hurricane Center, 2026 Atlantic season summary table, 28 October 2026; National Hurricane Center, Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook (28 October 2026), 28 October 2026; National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Vance Advisory 29 (28 October 2026), 28 October 2026.
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