A Tropical Storm Watch was issued Thursday for five west Georgia counties as Hurricane Isaias strengthened into the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season and headed toward the Gulf Coast. The watch covers Heard, Meriwether, Pike, Troup and Upson counties. It means sustained winds of at least 39 mph are possible within 48 hours, with stronger gusts possible. Residents were urged to complete storm preparations Thursday. At 11 a.m. Thursday, Isaias was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. A Gulf Coast landfall was forecast for Friday night, with hurricane and tropical storm warnings in effect for coastal Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. The storm’s projected path west of Georgia could bring heavy rain to the state Saturday, along with flooding and a risk of brief tornadoes. Meteorologist Brad Nitz said tornadoes can form in the rain bands on the right side of a landfalling hurricane’s track—a region Georgia could be in as Isaias moves north. Forecasters said many areas of north Georgia could receive 2 to 4 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts possible. Rain near the storm’s center could reach 10 to 12 inches, though that forecast does not mean every location in the projected area will receive the maximum. The watch signals a possibility of tropical-storm-force winds, not a certainty that those conditions will occur. Forecast details were expected to be updated with the National Hurricane Center’s next advisory, scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday.