Hurricane Isaias became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and is heading toward the Gulf Coast with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph), prompting mandatory evacuations and school closures in parts of Florida. Approximately 25% of Gulf oil production, equivalent to 511,000 barrels per day, was temporarily halted as of Wednesday, with eight of 371 manned oil platforms evacuated. Governors in Florida and Alabama declared a state of emergency for dozens of counties, with Florida covering 25 counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend regions. The National Weather Service warned communities from Mississippi to Florida to prepare for long-duration power outages. The Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet this year due to a strong El Niño, which disrupts storm formation over that ocean, while storm activity has been above average in the Pacific.
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