Alabama State Agencies Close Coastal Parks, Oyster Waters and Halt Lane Closures Ahead of Hurricane Isaias

Alabama state agencies have closed coastal parks and offices, shut down oyster harvesting in Mobile and Baldwin counties and pulled road crews off the state’s highways as Hurricane Isaias bears down on the northern Gulf Coast, while state and local emergency leaders urge residents to get ready now and rely on trusted sources for storm information.

The actions by the Alabama Department of Transportation, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Alabama Department of Public Health came after Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 Alabama counties. That declaration took effect at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, and is scheduled to remain in place through Wednesday, Oct. 14, allowing the state to coordinate resources and take precautions ahead of the storm.

Forecasters have said Isaias is expected to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday, Oct. 9, or early Saturday, Oct. 10. A hurricane warning is in effect along the coast from Mississippi to Florida.

ALDOT suspends lane closures in 10 counties

ALDOT is suspending temporary lane closures on interstates, U.S. highways and state routes in 10 south Alabama counties from 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, through 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11. The affected counties are:

• Mobile
• Baldwin
• Escambia
• Conecuh
• Covington
• Coffee
• Geneva
• Dale
• Houston
• Henry

Suspending work-zone lane closures keeps all available lanes open for evacuation traffic, emergency vehicles and utility crews. ALDOT urged drivers to postpone unnecessary travel and to stay away from flooded roads.

In its Thursday announcement, ALDOT cited a National Hurricane Center forecast calling for Isaias to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 1 storm with damaging hurricane-force winds, and noted the possibility of a stronger Category 2 or 3 storm at landfall. Other state updates issued Thursday described a Category 2 landfall as expected. The National Weather Service in Mobile has told residents to prepare for the possibility of long-duration power outages.

ALEA: Troopers ready, drivers urged to be cautious

ALEA said its troopers and specialized units are prepared to assist communities across the state and that the agency is coordinating with state and local partners. The agency said the storm could begin affecting parts of Alabama as early as Friday, bringing heavy rain, flash flooding, damaging winds, downed trees and power lines and isolated tornadoes.

“ALEA is prepared and ready to respond to any challenges this storm may bring,” ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said. “While our personnel are preparing to protect and serve, we encourage all Alabamians to do their part by preparing now, staying informed and making safe decisions, especially when traveling.”

ALEA offered safety tips for before, during and after the storm. Before Isaias arrives, the agency recommends:

• Monitoring forecasts and alerts from the National Weather Service, local emergency management officials and a trusted news source.
• Making a family emergency plan and choosing a safe place to shelter during tornado warnings.
• Charging phones and portable chargers and gathering water, flashlights, batteries and medications.
• Having more than one way to receive alerts, including at least one that will wake you up at night.
• Securing loose outdoor items and checking vehicles, fuel levels and travel routes.

During the storm, ALEA urges people to avoid unnecessary travel, never drive through flooded roads or around barricades, slow down and increase following distance on wet pavement, avoid using cruise control in the rain and stay alert for downed trees, power lines and debris. If a tornado warning is issued, people should move immediately to a small interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. Drivers should never approach or drive over a downed power line.

After the storm, the agency said, roads may remain dangerous even once the wind and rain have ended. Drivers should watch for lingering flooding, fallen trees and damaged infrastructure, obey road closure signs and give emergency responders, utility crews and road crews room to work. ALEA said it will share verified information on major roadway hazards, road closures, crashes and any Driver License office closures or delays through its official channels.

Coastal parks, offices and hunts closed

ADCNR announced temporary closures across its coastal facilities, saying Isaias was expected to move through the region quickly but bring heavy rain, strong winds and tornadoes.

State Parks: Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores is closed, and Meaher State Park in Spanish Fort is temporarily closed Friday. Neither park is accepting reservations. All other Alabama State Parks remain open for reservations for evacuees. Reopening dates for Gulf and Meaher will be announced after a post-storm evaluation and posted online and on the parks’ Facebook pages.

Marine Resources: The division’s offices on Dauphin Island and in Gulf Shores are closed until 8 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13.

State Lands: The Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Baldwin County is closed until noon Tuesday, Oct. 13, including all facilities, trails, boardwalks and boat ramps, except for use by emergency personnel. Reservations for the Alabama Canoe Trail System are closed through Friday, Oct. 16, and are expected to reopen Oct. 17. The division’s Coastal Section offices were already closed for renovations.

Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries: The District 5 office and the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area office and check station in Baldwin County are closed until further notice. The division also canceled several events:

• Alabama Deer Herd Health Field Talk in Spanish Fort, Oct. 8
• Baldwin County Youth Dove Hunt in Fairhope, Oct. 10
• Baldwin County Youth Dove Hunt in Elberta, Oct. 11
• Crenshaw County Youth Dove Hunt in Dozier, Oct. 10
• Fred T. Stimpson Small Game Hunt in Clarke County, Oct. 10–11
• Little River SOA Deer Hunt Scout Day in Escambia County, Oct. 10

ADCNR also warned boaters that public ramps in coastal and low-lying inland areas may see high water, storm surge and floating or submerged debris that make them unsafe to use.

Oyster harvesting halted in Mobile and Baldwin waters

The Alabama Department of Public Health closed shellfish growing waters in Mobile and Baldwin counties effective 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. The order, issued by State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris, closes Areas I through VI, which include Cedar Point, Portersville Bay, Heron Bay, Navy Cove, Dauphin Island Bay and Grand Bay.

The department said the closure was ordered because rainfall associated with Isaias could cause bacteriological contamination of oyster beds. ADPH will keep monitoring the bay waters and shellfish, and harvesting may resume once the areas meet acceptable bacteriological standards.

Closures of this kind are routine before and after heavy rain events. Runoff from land can carry bacteria into shallow bays, and because oysters filter large volumes of water as they feed, they can concentrate those contaminants. Health officials typically keep growing areas closed until water and shellfish sampling shows conditions have returned to safe levels.

EMA director: Get updates from trusted sources

Mike Evans, director of the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency, urged residents to get their storm information from reliable sources such as the National Weather Service rather than social media.

“I know on social media with algorithms, sometimes if you look at something, it could be from 12 hours ago,” Evans said during a briefing in Mobile.

Evans also warned against assuming Isaias will behave like storms the region has weathered before. Many residents remember Hurricanes Sally and Zeta, which both brought damaging winds and rain to Mobile and Baldwin counties in 2020.

“Don’t get caught up in comparing this particular storm to one of the previous storms,” Evans said, adding that deciding to stay because a past storm turned out fine is “not a good process to go through.”

National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan delivered a similar message Thursday. “We are expecting Isaias to be a dangerous hurricane when it makes landfall,” he said. “Today is the day to prepare and get ready and be in your safe place by tomorrow as conditions will rapidly deteriorate along the northern Gulf Coast as Isaias approaches.”

As of late Thursday morning, the hurricane center said Isaias had maximum sustained winds of about 85 mph and was moving east-northeast at 10 mph, centered about 380 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters said storm surge combined with high tide could reach 5 to 7 feet in parts of Alabama and Mississippi, that up to 15 inches of rain could fall along parts of the Gulf Coast and that tornadoes are possible overnight Friday into Saturday from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle and southwest Georgia. The storm is expected to weaken quickly after landfall.

Isaias is the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season. According to the weather service, it formed one day short of tying the record for the latest-forming first Atlantic hurricane, set in 1905, when the season’s first hurricane formed on Oct. 8.

Where to find official information

Residents can follow these state and federal sources for the latest updates:

• National Hurricane Center (hurricanes.gov) for official track and intensity forecasts.
• National Weather Service Mobile (weather.gov/mob) for local watches, warnings and forecasts.
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency (ema.alabama.gov) and county EMAs for evacuation and shelter information.
• ALGO Traffic (algotraffic.com), ALDOT’s traffic information service, for road conditions and closures.
• Alabama State Parks (alapark.com) for park closures, reopenings and evacuee reservations.
• Alabama Department of Public Health (alabamapublichealth.gov) for shellfish area status and health guidance.

Officials stress that the safest course is to finish preparations early, follow instructions from local authorities and avoid travel once conditions deteriorate.