Symbolic imageHurricane Isaias reaches Gulf coast as offshore oil and gas output is shut in
Hurricane Isaias, a category 3 storm on Friday, came ashore on the Florida Panhandle that night, according to the FT. Several states declared emergencies and Gulf producers halted output.
The National Weather Service forecast a life-threatening storm surge of up to about 7ft, up to 15in of rain and overnight tornadoes, and issued a rare extreme wind warning for the western Panhandle. Alabama's governor declared an emergency for 40 counties and Florida's governor for 27, several south Mississippi localities followed, and Florida expects 5,000 National Guard troops. Reports differ on strength: the FT says Isaias made landfall near Destin at about 9.30pm with sustained winds of 105mph, while the Guardian, earlier on Friday, put it at category 2 with 110mph, down from 120mph in the morning.
Offshore output halted
The US Marine Minerals Administration said workers left 121 of 371 manned platforms, halting an estimated 15 per cent of US crude output; the FT also cites more than half of offshore production paused. Chevron evacuated platforms, and the WSJ reports BP curbed output at two. Experts expect little price impact unless outages hit refineries.
Late season under El Niño
Isaias is the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026, the latest first since 1905. The Guardian and FT note that a strong El Niño suppresses Atlantic storm formation.