The threat of a potentially record-breaking hurricane has sparked panic buying in parts of the US. Hurricane watches were issued Wednesday in parts of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, as forecasters warn Tropical Storm Isaias will make a US landfall on Friday as a Category 2 hurricane. The National Weather Service (NWS) also shows Hurricane warnings are in effect for offshore waters along the US Gulf Coast, with winds up to 104mph and seas as high as 36 feet forecast Friday. Isaias is forecast to approach the northern Gulf Coast on Friday, with landfall possible that evening or early Saturday, striking between Biloxi, Mississippi, and Panama City, Florida, putting millions of Americans at risk. Fears of a devastating storm have left shelves empty in towns and cities along the US Gulf Coast, as locals stock up on everything from toilet paper to water and canned food. Images on social media show long lines at gas stations and depleted supermarket shelves. Mike Brennan, National Hurricane Center (NHC) director, said Wednesday: 'We are expecting multiple dangerous, life-threatening impacts along portions of the northern Gulf coast on Friday.'

Isaias will become the first hurricane of the 2026 season, making it the latest first hurricane to form in the Atlantic basin in over 100 years. The NHC said Isaias is currently moving east-northward off the coast of Mexico. Isaias could have winds of over 100 mph by Friday as it approaches the US coast, according to the center's hurricane specialists. The storm is projected to reach Category 1 hurricane strength by 8pm ET Thursday, then strengthen to Category 2 before making landfall near the Mississippi-Alabama border around 11pm ET Friday.

He added that the greatest concern for storm surge is the area from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Indian Pass. 'This is where we could see 5 to 7 feet of inundation above ground level somewhere in this area, likely near and to the right of where Isaias crosses the coast,' Brennan said. The NWS urged people in the storm's path to 'act now' and complete their preparations, advice many appear to be heeding. Florida local Stephen Page posted on Facebook: 'Stores are already run over, and shelves are empty at many places. Lines at gas stations are long, and people are in full prep mode.'

'So again, I say, if you haven't started, now is the time!' Another Floridian, Stephanie Michelle, said she experienced panic buying at the grocery store. 'The store was full, the parking lot was full, shelves were empty, and the carts were all full! People were everywhere, and traffic was a nightmare,' she added. Andrienne Olivia from Florida posted: 'The panic buying starts now.' Storm surge could reach four to seven feet above ground in vulnerable coastal areas of southern Jackson County, Mississippi, and Florida's Walton, Bay and Gulf counties.

Southern Harrison County, including Gulfport and Biloxi, could see three to five feet. The surge forecasts identify Friday morning through Saturday morning as the main period of concern. A few tornadoes are also possible in the Mississippi coastal areas covered by the alerts. The Atlantic has yet to produce a hurricane in 2026, putting the season within reach of a record set in 1905 for the latest first hurricane. If forecast models are correct and Isaias develops into a hurricane, it would be deemed a record-breaking storm. Meteorologist Matt Devitt said on X: 'Isaias will likely be one of the most significant storms of the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season with a landfall in the US.'