9 hrs ago
Hurricane Isaias Threatens Gulf Coast as Evacuations and Oil Shutdowns Grow
Hurricane Isaias was a strong storm moving toward the northern Gulf Coast.
On Thursday, its winds reached 105 miles per hour.
Forecasters expected it to reach the coast late Friday or early Saturday.
They warned that some places could face dangerous winds, high water, heavy rain and flooding.
Tornadoes and long power outages were also possible.
Officials ordered people to leave some coastal areas and declared emergencies.
Workers were moved away from offshore oil and gas platforms.
As a result, much of the region’s oil and gas production was temporarily stopped.
The storm could also affect oil markets, especially if it damages refineries.
Isaias strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
Forecasters expected landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday, with dangerous conditions possible in Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
Warnings covered parts of Mississippi and Florida; storm surge, heavy rain, flooding, tornadoes and prolonged power outages were possible.
Evacuations were ordered in vulnerable coastal areas, and the governors of Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency.
About 63% of Gulf oil production and 57% of natural gas production had been shut in, according to the offshore monitoring agency.
- Who
- Residents, tourists, officials and offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf Coast region.
- What
- Hurricane Isaias strengthened to Category 2, prompting warnings, evacuations and shutdowns of offshore production.
- Where
- The northern Gulf Coast, including parts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
- When
- Thursday; landfall was forecast for late Friday or early Saturday.
- Why
- The storm was forecast to bring dangerous conditions, including storm surge, heavy rain and possible flooding.
Key facts
- Storm strength
- Category 2, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph) on Thursday.
- Forecast landfall
- Late Friday or early Saturday along the northern Gulf Coast.
- Storm surge risk
- Up to 5 to 7 feet in parts of Alabama and Mississippi.
- Rainfall risk
- Up to 15 inches in coastal areas; heavy rain and flooding were possible inland as far as Tennessee and North Carolina.
- Oil production shut in
- About 1.3 million barrels per day, or 63% of current Gulf production.
- Natural gas production shut in
- Just over 1.1 billion cubic feet per day, or about 57% of regional output.
- Offshore evacuations
- Personnel evacuated from 121 production platforms and five non-dynamically positioned rigs.
- Potential oil production losses
- A model forecast estimated about 9 million barrels could be lost across the Gulf during the storm.
Quotes
Michael Brennan
Director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami
“Today is the day to prepare and get ready and be in your safe place by tomorrow as conditions will rapidly deteriorate along the northern Gulf Coast as Isaias approaches.”
livemint.com
“We are expecting Isaias to be a dangerous hurricane when it makes landfall.”
livemint.com
Sources
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