Hurricane Isaias strengthened to Category 2 on Thursday as it approached the northern Gulf Coast, prompting evacuations and emergency preparations across parts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. The National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and said the storm was moving northeast at 14 mph. At the time of the update, Isaias was centered about 260 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters expected it to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday, then weaken as it moved inland. A hurricane warning covered the coast from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida. A storm surge warning extended from the Mississippi River mouth to the Suwannee River. Forecasters said surge could reach 5 to 7 feet in parts of Alabama and Mississippi, while some coastal areas could receive as much as 15 inches of rain. Tornadoes were also possible overnight Friday into Saturday, and the National Weather Service warned of potentially long power outages. “We are expecting Isaias to be a dangerous hurricane when it makes landfall,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said. He urged residents to finish preparations Thursday and be in a safe place by Friday, when conditions along the coast were expected to deteriorate rapidly. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered non-residents to leave Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island. Officials encouraged voluntary evacuations on Dauphin Island, a low-lying barrier island where storm surge is a particular concern. Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency in dozens of counties. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said about 5,000 National Guard troops were expected to mobilize by Friday. At least four Florida school districts canceled classes later in the week, and some counties ordered evacuations in coastal areas. Pensacola officials said the airport would close to commercial flights Friday morning. In Mobile, residents collected sandbags, while fishing crews in Bayou La Batre worked to secure boats. The storm also disrupted offshore energy operations. By Thursday, roughly 63% of oil production in the Gulf had been temporarily shut down, removing nearly 1.3 million barrels a day from production, according to the Marine Minerals Administration. The agency said 121 of the region’s 371 manned oil platforms had been evacuated. The Gulf produces almost 15% of U.S. crude oil annually, and energy analysts said the storm’s impact on refineries would be a key concern. Isaias formed late in an unusually quiet Atlantic hurricane season, which forecasters linked in part to a strong El Niño. The storm was approaching a coastline with a history of devastating hurricanes, including Camille in 1969, Katrina in 2005 and Michael in 2018. Those past storms underscore the risks facing communities preparing for Isaias, though its eventual impacts will depend on its track and strength at landfall.