Isaias strengthened to a hurricane with winds of 85 mph. The track remains east of Texas, but Galveston and the upper coast face dangerous surf, rip currents, and water levels above normal.
Updated on October 8, 2026 at 11 a.m.
HOUSTON, Texas — Isaias intensified into a hurricane in the early hours of Thursday and continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico, although its forecast track remains well to the east of the Houston area.
As of 10 a.m. CDT on Thursday, October 8, Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was moving toward the east-northeast at 10 mph. Its center was located about 380 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Houston and the upper Texas coast remain outside the National Hurricane Center’s tropical watches and warnings. Local effects are concentrated in the Gulf and on the beaches, where elevated surf, strong rip currents, wind gusts over the water, and water levels above normal are expected.
Texas remains outside hurricane and storm surge alerts
Active hurricane and storm surge alerts extend along portions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
The National Hurricane Center maintains a hurricane warning from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the line between Bay and Gulf counties in Florida.
There is also a storm surge warning from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River in Florida.
The Texas coast is not currently included in hurricane, tropical storm, or storm surge warnings associated with Isaias.
Isaias could reach winds near 110 mph by Friday
The hurricane continues to strengthen as it moves through the central Gulf.
The National Hurricane Center forecast projects that Isaias could reach winds near 105 mph overnight Thursday and around 110 mph on Friday morning.
The system would then approach the northern Gulf coast on Friday before moving inland.
The track and intensity could still change. Hurricane Hunter aircraft will continue reconnaissance missions as the system approaches the coast.
Rough surf could reach 5 to 9 feet off the upper Texas coast
The National Weather Service Houston/Galveston has a Small Craft Advisory until 1 a.m. Saturday for Gulf waters from High Island to Matagorda Ship Channel and up to 60 nautical miles offshore.
Expected conditions include northeast winds of 15 to 25 knots, with gusts up to 30 knots, and seas of roughly 5 to 9 feet.
The National Weather Service warns that these conditions will be dangerous for small craft, especially for operators with little experience.
Winds and seas are expected to begin subsiding between Friday night and Saturday, though offshore conditions could remain hazardous for part of Saturday.
Galveston faces high risk of rip currents through Friday night
The National Weather Service issued a high risk rip current warning for Gulf-facing beaches, including Galveston Island, Bolivar Peninsula, Brazoria County, and Matagorda Peninsula.
The risk will remain in effect through Friday night and could extend into Saturday depending on wave evolution.
Rip currents can quickly pull swimmers away from shore. The National Weather Service recommends swimming near a lifeguard and staying away from piers, jetties, and other structures.
If someone becomes caught in a rip current, official guidance is not to swim directly against the current, but to float and move parallel to the shore whenever possible.
Water levels could rise in Galveston and other coastal areas
Isaias will stay offshore from Texas, but the surge generated by the hurricane will raise water levels along the upper coast.
The National Weather Service Houston/Galveston notes that coastal levels will remain above normal and could approach minor coastal flood thresholds on Friday.
The local office also maintains coastal alerts as surf and rip currents increase.
Residents can check rainfall, bayou levels, traffic, and outages through our live map guide for Houston.
Isaias’ next full advisory will be at 4 p.m.
The National Hurricane Center scheduled an intermediate advisory for 1 p.m. CDT and the next full update for 4 p.m. CDT Thursday.
Track, intensity, and current advisories are available at the National Hurricane Center. Specific conditions for Galveston and the upper Texas coast are available from the National Weather Service Houston/Galveston.
As of the 10 a.m. update on October 8, Texas remains outside Isaias’ tropical alerts and the hurricane center continues moving toward the northern Gulf coast.
