Tropical Depression Nine forms in the Gulf and could become Hurricane Isaias by Thursday
The National Hurricane Center has designated the former Invest 92L as Tropical Depression Nine in the southwestern Gulf; it is forecast to become Tropical Storm Isaias on Wednesday and the season's first hurricane by Thursday, with landfall expected on the northern Gulf Coast this weekend.
The National Hurricane Center has designated the former Invest 92L as Tropical Depression Nine in the southwestern Gulf — and it could become the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season by Thursday, forecasters warn.
At 4pm CDT on Tuesday, the depression was near 22.1N, 95.6W — 380 miles west of Progreso, Mexico — with sustained winds of 35mph, just below the 39mph tropical-storm threshold, the Pensacola News Journal reported. It was drifting east at 5mph after sitting nearly static.
The NHC expects the system to become Tropical Storm Isaias, the season’s ninth named storm, early on Wednesday and reach hurricane strength by Thursday. The forecast discussion warned it would be “a dangerous hurricane when it makes landfall”, possibly reaching Category 2 with 100mph winds by Friday.
The projected track carries the storm north of the Yucatan Peninsula on Thursday before turning sharply northeast on Friday, with landfall late Friday or Saturday from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. 3 to 6 inches of rain — up to 10 inches locally — is forecast for the central US Gulf Coast from Friday through the weekend, with flash, urban and isolated river flooding possible, the Naples Daily News reported.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect as of Tuesday evening, though forecasters urge Gulf Coast residents from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana to have a hurricane plan. The 2026 Atlantic season has so far produced eight tropical storms and no hurricanes — below the early-October norm of 11 named storms including five hurricanes and two major hurricanes.
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