After 130 days of relative calm, the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season birthed its first hurricane, and it’s headed for the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane Isaias officially evolved from a tropical storm late Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center, setting a new record for the quietest start to a hurricane season since the satellite era began 60 years ago.
It also nearly ties an Oct. 8 record for the latest first hurricane of the Atlantic season that has stood for more than 100 years.
Isaias is about 460 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph with higher gusts, according to NHC’s 10:30 p.m. CT advisory. …