“Category 2 Hurricane Isaias Hits U.S. Gulf Coast”

Hurricane Isaias struck the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday as a menacing Category 2 hurricane, bringing strong winds and heavy rain and posing a threat of flooding to low-lying areas. The storm hit near Destin, Florida, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center based in Miami, with sustained winds reaching 169 km/h. Isaias rapidly gained strength as it moved towards the northern Gulf Coast, prompting warnings from the hurricane center about potentially destructive winds and life-threatening storm surges in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama.