Alabama Gulf Coast tells tourists to leave as Hurricane Isaias approaches
Alabama officials ordered visitors to evacuate coastal areas including Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island as Hurricane Isaias moved toward the northern Gulf Coast. The mandatory order applies to nonresidents in surge-prone zones south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Forecasters expect landfall late Friday or early Saturday, with dangerous coastal conditions possible.
Alabama’s governor directed nonresidents to leave Baldwin County areas below the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, covering Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, plus visitors on Dauphin Island in Mobile County. City and tourism updates urged short-term guests in flood-prone spots to move inland before roads and services could be compromised.
Forecasters said Isaias was strengthening over the Gulf and could arrive as a hurricane between the Mississippi and Florida Panhandle, with coastal Alabama in the potential impact zone. Watches and warnings cited surge, heavy rain, and possible utility and access disruptions.
The visitor evacuation may disrupt vacation plans and local tourism activity, while residents in surge-prone areas could face property damage, power losses, and limited road access. Emergency crews and utility workers may be stretched if the storm tracks close, and travelers with flexible bookings could reroute inland. The broader effect depends on Isaias’s final intensity and path.