'Expecting life-threatening impacts': Tropical storm Isaias to strike US Gulf Coast as hurricane

Isaias set to strengthen into a hurricane before hitting the US Gulf Coast Tropical Storm Isaias formed Wednesday (local time) off eastern Mexico and was forecast to rapidly strengthen into the Atlantic season’s first hurricane before reaching the US Gulf Coast later this week, with landfall possible as early as Friday evening.The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and was moving east-northeast at 8 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Forecasters expected Isaias to become a hurricane by Thursday as it turns north towards the Gulf Coast, with landfall likely late Friday or early Saturday.“We’re expecting multiple dangerous, life-threatening impacts along portions of the northern Gulf Coast beginning Friday and continuing into the weekend," National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said in a video briefing as quoted by news agency AP.Isaias could strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane, with winds of at least 111 mph, Brennan said. A hurricane watch was issued for the northern Gulf Coast from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass on Florida’s Panhandle.The storm could bring dangerous storm surge from southeast Louisiana to Florida’s Big Bend, while ...