Tropical Storm Isaias Threatens Gulf Coast: Flight and Cruise Disruption Forecast

Tropical Storm Isaias, currently off the Gulf Coast of the U.S., is likely to become a powerful hurricane before it hits the U.S. northern Gulf Coast on Friday, and could very well have a huge impact on travel.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the storm was producing winds near 45 mph but the National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects it to gain strength as it moves over the warm Gulf waters over the next couple of days.

Should that forecast hold true, the storm will bring dangerous storm surges of up to 7 feet around Mobile Bay and the Florida Big Bend and then heavy rainfall across the Southeast starting on Sunday.

That level of rain could cause prolonged power outages along the Gulf Coast.

As of Wednesday, there is currently a Hurricane Watch in effect for the area from Bay St. Louis to Indian Pass and then a Tropical Storm Watch for the area from the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish line to west of Bay St. Louis, and East of Indian Pass to the Aucilla River.

Tropical Storm Isaias Travel Impact

While the travel industry has been spared the worst of what could be during this last hurricane season, Isaias is likely to cause some major flight cancellations and delays starting on Friday. While no major U.S. carrier has issued flight waivers yet, most are likely to as the storm approaches the Gulf Coast on Friday.

That impact is likely to be felt at Pensacola International Airport (PNS), Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS), Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport (GPT), and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY).

Cruise lines could also bear the brunt of Isaias, in particular those that are scheduled to sail through Gulf waters or depart from Gulf ports like Tampa, Mobile, and New Orleans over the weekend.

According to Cruise Ship Tracker, that would include vessels scheduled to call at or depart from Gulf hubs—such as Carnival Spirit out of Mobile—as well as ships sailing the broader regional itineraries over the coming days, including Margaritaville at Sea Islander, Radiance of the Seas, Enchantment of the Seas, Carnival Paradise, and Celebrity Summit.