Bay Minette State of Emergency Takes Effect as Hurricane Isaias Nears North Baldwin

BAY MINETTE, Ala. — A Bay Minette state of emergency took effect at 6 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9, as Hurricane Isaias approached the northern Gulf Coast, giving city leaders broad authority to marshal resources, call in outside help and, if conditions warrant, close roads, set curfews or order evacuations.

Mayor Joshua O. Brown and the Bay Minette City Council approved the declaration on Wednesday, Oct. 7, during an emergency special-called council meeting. The council’s action came after the National Weather Service warned that the storm posed a significant threat to the safety, health and welfare of residents. Under the declaration, the city is activating all municipal departments and emergency services in line with its Emergency Operations Plan.

“This action allows us to mobilize resources quickly and take every precaution to protect our residents,” Brown said. “We urge everyone to stay informed, follow official guidance, prepare appropriately, and remain indoors during potentially dangerous conditions.”

What Resolution 1026-07 says

The emergency is spelled out in Resolution 1026-07. The resolution states that Isaias, which was still a tropical storm when the council met, may bring hazardous travel conditions, damage to public and private property, utility disruptions and the risk of injury or loss of life.

According to the city, the declaration authorizes Bay Minette to:

• Coordinate with county, state and federal agencies as needed.
• Request mutual aid to support its response.
• Take lawful actions to preserve public safety, including road closures, curfews or evacuation orders if conditions warrant.
• Exercise all powers granted under Alabama law and City Ordinance 1029 during emergency operations.

The emergency remains in effect until the mayor or the City Council officially ends it. The city has not announced a curfew or evacuation order as part of the declaration; those measures are among the tools the resolution makes available if the storm’s impacts call for them. Residents should watch official city channels for any such announcements.

Why the declaration matters

Local emergency declarations are a common step for Alabama cities and counties ahead of a hurricane. They allow a government to move faster than it can under normal procedures, putting equipment, personnel and contracts in place before the weather turns. Mutual aid lets a city draw on crews and equipment from neighboring jurisdictions and partner agencies when its own resources are stretched, which can matter in the hours after a storm when roads must be cleared and utilities restored.

A formal declaration also documents that the city is responding to an emergency, which can be important later if state or federal disaster assistance becomes available. Bay Minette’s action follows a statewide emergency: Gov. Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency for 40 Alabama counties in the south and central part of the state ahead of Isaias.

Several other local governments along the coast and across Baldwin County have also taken emergency actions this week as the storm approached, and Baldwin County officials have urged residents of low-lying, surge-prone areas to evacuate.

What north Baldwin can expect from Isaias

Bay Minette, the Baldwin County seat, sits in the northern part of the county, well inland from the Gulf beaches. That distance protects the city from storm surge, but forecasters stress that a hurricane’s wind and rain do not stop at the coastline.

Isaias strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 8, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 4 p.m. advisory. Forecasters expected it to reach about 110 mph early Friday and to make landfall somewhere along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday. A hurricane warning covers all of Baldwin County, including its inland areas.

The National Weather Service’s local forecast on Thursday said Bay Minette and other inland communities face strong wind gusts, heavy rainfall and possible power outages. Across coastal and central Baldwin County, 4 to 8 inches of rain is forecast, with locally higher totals possible, and forecasters warned of a tornado threat in the stronger rain bands Friday night into Saturday, especially north and east of the storm’s center.

Forecasters also said Isaias was growing in size and was expected to speed up after landfall, a combination that can carry damaging gusts well inland before a storm has time to weaken. Fallen trees, blocked roads and long-duration power outages are among the main concerns for inland communities. Tropical-storm-force winds could reach the coast as early as Friday morning, with the main impact window Friday night into early Saturday. Conditions are expected to improve Saturday afternoon as Isaias moves north, with drier weather Sunday.

How residents can stay safe

City officials asked residents to stay indoors during dangerous conditions and to rely on official sources. Emergency managers and the National Weather Service offer these steps for inland residents riding out the storm:

• Know your safe place. If a tornado warning is issued, go to a small interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, away from windows. People in mobile or manufactured homes should move to a sturdier structure before the weather worsens.
• Have more than one way to get warnings. Keep emergency alerts turned on and have a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio, especially for alerts overnight Friday.
• Prepare for outages. Charge phones and power banks, keep flashlights and batteries handy and make a plan for anyone who depends on powered medical equipment or refrigerated medicine.
• Use generators safely. Never run a generator inside a home, garage or enclosed porch, or near windows, doors and vents. Carbon monoxide can kill.
• Stay off the roads. Fallen trees, downed power lines and flooded roads are common after a storm passes. Never drive through standing water, and treat every downed line as live.
• Check on neighbors. Older residents, people with disabilities and anyone without reliable transportation may need help.

Where to find official updates

The city encourages residents to follow the National Weather Service and the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency for updates and safety information, and to monitor official City of Bay Minette channels for announcements about closures, curfews or other emergency measures. Forecast updates are also available from the National Hurricane Center at nhc.noaa.gov and from the National Weather Service in Mobile at weather.gov/mob.

Brown’s message to residents was straightforward: stay informed, follow official guidance and be prepared to stay inside until the danger passes. The city will announce when the emergency declaration ends.