Isaias downgraded to category 2, nearing landfall in western Florida Panhandle

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WWSB) - At 9 p.m. EST, the center of Hurricane Isaias was located near latitude 30.2N , longitude 86.5W West, moving toward the north near 18 mph. A tide gauge recently measured a 5.4 foot rise in sea level near Panama City. Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall along the coast of the western Florida Panhandle within the next hour, then expected to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley Saturday and Sunday.Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph with higher gusts. Weakening is expected after landfall, and Isaias is forecast to become post-tropical on Saturday. A north-northeastward to northeastward motion is forecast on Sunday.Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center, while tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 205 miles. The estimated minimum central pressure is 971 mb.Recent wind measurements demonstrate the extreme conditions already impacting the area. A wind gust to 102 mph (164 km/h) with a sustained wind o