(Gray News) - Officials issued a desperate plea as Hurricane Isaias approaches the Gulf Coast with possible “devastating” winds.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott encouraged residents in designated areas to evacuate as soon as possible and warned in a social media post: “This is your LAST CHANCE to get prepared. Listen to local officials. If they say evacuate, then GET THE HECK OUT.”

Isaias has grown into a Category 3 storm, the first of an unusually quiet Atlantic season. The storm is expected to make landfall Friday night.

Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.

Isaias is expected to come ashore between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle — a low-lying coastal stretch known for powdery white sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.

One of the biggest concerns is a storm surge that could be as high as 6 to 9 feet (1.8 to 2.7 meters), according to the National Hurricane Center. Places most at risk include Florida’s Pensacola Beach and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Scott said he had spoken to President Donald Trump the day before and the president told him the Federal Emergency Management Agency would be there to respond following the storm.

Copyright 2026 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.