Florida, Georgia, Alabama Declare States of Emergency, Gulf Coast Evacuations as Isaias Intensifies to Category 2

States across the Gulf Coast and Southeast, including Florida, Alabama and Georgia, have declared states of emergency and issued evacuation orders as Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Thursday, with rainfall of up to 15 inches possible in some areas along the northern Gulf Coast. Ron DeSantis Declares Emergency in 27 Counties Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) issued a statement on Thursday, declaring a state of emergency in 27 counties across Florida, saying that the Hurricane’s maximum wind speeds will reach 110 mph before the storm makes its “landfall in the extreme Western Panhandle Friday night or early Saturday morning.” Read Also: SpaceX Activates Free Starlink Satellite Texting as Spain Wildfires Knock Out Mobile Networks DeSantis declared a state of emergency in counties including Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, as well as Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton and Columbia counties. On the other hand, Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) declared a state of emergency across all of the state’s 159 counties. “I encourage all Georgians to take this storm seriously,” Kemp said in an official statement. He also urged people to stock up on “food, batteries, flashlights, water, and other necessities in case of severe weather impacting communities Friday night through Saturday.” Read Also: Robert Reich Warns Big Oil and Big AI Could Face ‘Tens if Not Hundreds of Billions’ in Liability: 'Make Them Pay' Alabama Issues Evacuation Orders Gov. Kay Ivey (R-AL), in a video statement on Thursday, said that the Hurricane will hit Alabama “as early as Friday,” adding that she had issued a state of emergency for 40 counties in the state. She announced closures of state offices and buildings in counties like Baldwin, Coffee, Covington, Dale and Escambia and more. Read Also: Mark Cuban Asked Grok Whether AI Or Climate Change Will End Humanity. It Didn't Hesitate Ivey said that Alabama was “requiring all tourists and visitors in Baldwin County south of the Gulf Coast ICW, as well as those in Dauphin Island in Mobile County, to evacuate immediately.” FAA Warns of Delays Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that Hurricane Isaias “could affect travel in the Gulf Coast and Southeast through the weekend” via a post on the social media platform X on Thursday. “You may experience delays and cancellations as we work to get you to your destination safely,” FAA said, urging travelers to review airline announcements for flight statuses. Hurricane #Isaias could affect travel in the Gulf Coast and Southeast through the weekend. You may experience delays and cancellations as we work to get you to your destination safely. Check with your airline for your flight status and get real-time airport updates at… https://t.co/wzIoEGjNpD— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) October 8, 2026 According to a report by CNN on Thursday, Amtrak suspended or modified services along parts of the Gulf Coast, including the Mardi Gras and Crescent routes. Forbes reported on Thursday that airlines like American Airlines Group Inc. (NASDAQ:AAL) and JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) waived change fees for travelers on Friday and Saturday for different parts of the affected states, including Tampa, New Orleans, Mobile, Panama City, Huntsville and more. Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE:LUV) also issued waivers for travelers, but Delta Air Lines Inc. (NYSE:DAL) did not mention waived change fees, the report said. Read Also: Elon Musk's SpaceX To Offer Starlink Service For Free To Hurricane Helene And Hurricane Milton Victims Through Year-End Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock