Florida government gearing up for Hurricane Isaias

This story has been updated to reflect that Tropical Storm Isaias has been updated to a hurricane and its trajectory.

Tropical Storm Isaias was upgraded to a hurricane late Wednesday night with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported.

As of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday the storm was moving east-northeast at 9 mph and was about 460 miles south-southwest from the mouth of Mississippi River

Swells from the hurricane are expected to spread across the northern and central gulf coast Friday night and early Saturday morning.

A hurricane watch has been issued from Ocean Springs, Mississippi east to the Bay-Gulf county line in Florida.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Jefferson-Plaquemines Parish line in Louisiana, west to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and east to the Bay-Gulf county line and the Aucilla River in Florida.

A storm surge watch has been issued for the Steinhatchee River in Florida south to Yankeetown.

Meanwhile, state officials said Wednesday they were “prepared and ready to respond” to a potential Florida landfall.

Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the Center for Education Reform’s annual summit in Philadelphia Tuesday night and made no public appearances although he posted to social media:

“There will be impacts by Isaias to the Florida panhandle. Even if it makes landfall west of the panhandle the eastern, most dangerous side (of) the storm will impact NW Florida. If you are in those communities make sure to execute your hurricane plan.”

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott said he would be in Pensacola Thursday “working with local leaders and emergency management officials to make sure families are prepared.”

“Storm season is not over. We still have weeks of storm season,” Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said during a news conference unrelated to the story. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

“This is the first storm that we have seen in over two years, and the stat that is amazing to me is I think there is like 450,000 people that have moved to the great state of Florida who have never experienced a hurricane,” he said.

“That’s how blessed we have been. But, having said that, we knew that something like this was going to be inevitable and we are ready. We are monitoring the situation,” Ingoglia added.

State of emergency 

The last hurricane to touch Florida was Milton, a Category 3 that made landfall in Siesta Key in October 2024. 

The governor Tuesday declared a state of emergency for 25 panhandle counties.

As of Wednesday, the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s emergency response team was activated. “Our partners are working around the clock to support communities and ensure resources are positioned where they are needed most,” the division posted to social media. 

Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky notified all health insurers, managed care organizations, and other plans licensed by the Office of Insurance Regulation that they are required to allow customers in those 25 counties to fill in advance prescription medications (so long as there are active refills) and pay pharmacies for at least a 30-day supply. The mandate stays in place for as long as the emergency order is in effect.

“We will be boots on the ground there,” Ingoglia said, referring to his employees who work with insurance companies to assist Floridians. His office supervises the insurance office.

Ingoglia suggested Floridians take a video of the outside and inside of their homes to document the state of the properties in advance. 

“One of the best ways to help bring down insurance premiums is to help mitigate losses, and you do that by preparing people in advance,” Ingoglia said. 

Floridians can report price gouging to the attorney general’s office.

According to the University of Florida, this could be the latest first hurricane during an Atlantic hurricane season since 1905.