Hurricane Isaias live updates: Gulf Coast braces for dangerous storm - CNN

The record-breaking Hurricane Isaias is getting stronger as it heads north to the Gulf Coast. The strong and rapidly-intensifying storm is expected to make landfall this weekend as the the season’s first Atlantic hurricane.

Here’s what you should know:

What to expect: Isaias could near Category 3 strength, but will weaken some before making landfall as a hurricane by early Saturday morning. It will pick up speed as it moves north, and is expected to strike the coastline head-on.

Evacuations and closures: Officials have asked those within the storm’s forecasted path to evacuate and many residents have begun preparing days in advance, flocking to grocery stores and gas stations to stock up for the storm. Some energy companies including Chevron and Shell are shutting down production at some offshore facilities and evacuating workers. Schools in the region have also announced closures ahead of Isaias’ landfall, some Florida airports have preemptively closed, and all trains along the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service line, which runs between New Orleans, Louisiana and Mobile, Alabama, are canceled through Sunday. Parts of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama are under states of emergency.

Forecasted threats: Isaias is forecast to bring flooding, dangerous storm surge and even some tornadoes to the Gulf Coast in the coming days. It’s expected to grow larger as it nears the coast, so wet and windy conditions are likely across a wide area of the Southeast through Saturday. Isaias could also knock out power and down trees where it makes landfall along the coast, but outages could extend further inland into parts of the Southeast.

Check out what to expect by city here.

CNN’s Briana Waxman, Maria Aguilar Prieto, Mary Gilbert, Chris Dolce, Sara Smart, Rebekah Riess, Brandon Miller, Taylor Ward and Kate S. Petersen contributed reporting.