Hurricane Isaias makes landfall as extreme winds, heavy rain blast the Gulf Coast
Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane this season, weakened slightly from a Category 3 to a Category 2 storm Friday afternoon before it made landfall near Destin, Florida.
The hurricane, wish maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and an estimated minimum central pressure of 971 mb, made landfall at around 9:30 p.m.
Ferocious eyewall winds and life-threatening storm surge are pounding the coast as the storm pushes inland.
What we know:
A station near Santa Rosa Sound recently clocked an astounding wind gust of 116 mph alongside sustained winds of 91 mph, while a WeatherSTEM station near Pensacola logged a 100 mph gust.
Meanwhile, water levels at Panama City Beach have surged to 5.6 feet above normal tide, driving severe coastal inundation into low-lying communities.
As dangerous hurricane-force winds and torrential flash flooding push further inland tonight, everyone in the path of the storm must remain sheltered in interior safe rooms until the storm passes.
Rain from the storm’s remnants will spread across more than 15 states in the eastern U.S. after landfall this weekend.
RELATED: Hurricane Isaias: Latest updates, alerts, cancellations and more
The dangerous impacts of Hurricane Isaias are expand beyond hurricane-force winds, life-threatening storm surge and flooding, with a Tornado Watch now in effect across parts of Florida and southern Georgia.
The tornado watch is in effect for more than 850,000 until 6 a.m. Saturday for portions of the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend and northern Florida, along with parts of southern Georgia.
The watch includes the possibility of a couple of tornadoes, hail up to 1.5 inches and wind gusts reaching 60 mph.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, tornadoes could develop quickly within Isaias’ outer and trailing rain bands as the hurricane moves inland.
Evacuation orders were issued for Dauphin Island in Alabama, as well as Okaloosa and Escambia counties in Florida. Mandatory evacuation orders have also been issued in Walton County, Florida.
The city of Orange Beach, Alabama, has ordered evacuations for all coastal tourists and visitors.
Tracking Hurricane Isaias (FOX Weather)
What is a Category 2 hurricane?
The backstory:
A Category 2 hurricane is a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Storms of this magnitude bring damage to rooftops and buildings, particularly mobile homes. They also bring down lots of trees and signs.
RELATED: You can thank El Niño for this year's record-slow Atlantic hurricane season: Here's why
Which states have declared a state of emergency?
Florida bracing for Hurricane Isaias
Hurricane Isaias preparations are underway in Florida's panhandle where the storm is expected to make landfall Friday night. FOX's Caroline Elliott joins LiveNOW's Bowen Kedrowicz from Navarre, Florida.
What they're saying:
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for all 159 counties Thursday, and several metro Atlanta event organizers have announced closures and schedule changes.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis also declared states of emergency for dozens of counties in their states.
In a Friday news conference, DeSantis urged residents to follow evacuation orders due to storm surge.
"The surge is really what puts a lot of people's lives in jeopardy if they haven't heeded evacuation orders and does the most significant damage from these storms," DeSantis said.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press, FOX Weather, and FOX 5 Atlanta.