MOBILE, Ala. — Hurricane Isaias has emptied the weekend calendar across coastal Alabama, and the list of Isaias closings keeps growing. Schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties are closed Friday, Oct. 9, festivals and concerts have been canceled or pushed back, and city offices, libraries and markets have shut their doors as the region prepares for the storm.
The cancellations began piling up Wednesday, Oct. 7, as forecasters said the system, then Tropical Storm Isaias, was expected to reach the north-central Gulf Coast around Friday night or Saturday morning as a Category 2 hurricane. The National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores was the largest event called off, but it was far from the only one.
Below is a roundup of Isaias closings, cancellations and postponements announced in Mobile and Baldwin counties and nearby communities. Plans can change quickly during a storm, so residents should confirm details directly with schools, employers and event organizers.
School closings in Mobile County
- Mobile County Public Schools: All campuses and offices are closed Friday, Oct. 9. Football games that had been scheduled for Friday were moved to Thursday, and the closure cancels other after-school extracurricular activities Friday.
- Catholic schools: Catholic schools in Mobile and Baldwin counties are closed Friday, Oct. 9. The scheduled fall break for Oct. 15-16 is unchanged.
- Bishop State Community College: All campuses are closed Friday.
- Chickasaw City Schools: Schools and district offices are closed Friday, Oct. 9.
- Saraland City Schools: Schools and activities are canceled from Friday, Oct. 9, through the weekend.
- Satsuma City Schools: Closed Friday, Oct. 9.
- Government Street Christian School: The school and its Child Development Center are closed Friday, Oct. 9.
School closings in Baldwin County
- Baldwin County Public Schools: No school Friday, Oct. 9.
- Gulf Shores City Schools: No school Thursday, Oct. 8.
- Orange Beach City Schools: No school or school-related activities Thursday, Oct. 8.
- Catholic schools: Closed Friday, Oct. 9, as noted above.
High school football games across the area that had been scheduled for Friday night were moved up to Thursday because of the expected weather. Among them, the Gulf Shores vs. Elberta game was moved to Elberta High School at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. Gates were set to open at 3:15 p.m., and fans were asked not to arrive earlier to avoid school dismissal traffic.
Government offices and public places
- City of Foley: Non-emergency city offices and facilities are closed Friday, Oct. 9, and are scheduled to reopen Monday, Oct. 12. That includes the city museums, Foley Community Library and the Interpretive Center at Graham Creek Nature Preserve.
- City of Robertsdale: City offices close at noon Friday, Oct. 9.
- Fairhope Public Library: Closed Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10.
- Gulf State Park pier: The pier in Gulf Shores was closed at 1 p.m. for storm-related preparations. Park staff plan to assess the pier Monday morning, Oct. 12.
- City of Mobile recycling centers: The city’s three recycling centers are closed Friday, Oct. 9. Trash and garbage service was scheduled to run normal routes Friday.
Festivals and events canceled
- National Shrimp Festival: The 53rd annual festival, which had been scheduled for this week on the Gulf Shores public beach, has been canceled.
- Dauphin Street Beer Festival: The festival, which was to take place Saturday after already being postponed from Oct. 3, has been canceled. Refunds will be issued; the city of Mobile said ticket buyers should contact the bar where they purchased tickets.
- Fall Market in the Park: Mobile’s first Fall Market in the Park of the season, planned for Saturday in Cathedral Square, has been canceled.
- Olde Time Days: The Oct. 10 event in Stockton has been canceled.
- The Great Alabama 650: The 650-mile paddling race for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards, which began Oct. 3 and finishes near Fort Morgan, was called off mid-race. Organizers said “the difficult but necessary decision had to be made in an effort to keep all racers, crew, staff, and volunteers safe.”
- Coastal Alabama Farmers and Fishermen’s Market: The Foley market is closed Saturday, Oct. 10.
- Prodisee Pantry: The Saturday food distribution has been canceled because of weather concerns.
Events postponed or rescheduled
- LoDa ArtWalk: The monthly downtown Mobile art walk, which was set for Friday evening, Oct. 9, has been rescheduled for Friday, Oct. 16.
- Mobile Latin Fest: Planned for Saturday in Mardi Gras Park, the festival has been moved to Sunday, Oct. 18.
- Mobile Symphony Orchestra: The season opener, “Spectacular,” planned for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 10-11, will be rescheduled. The orchestra said Wednesday that new dates will be announced soon.
- Wynterfest: The local music festival planned for this weekend in Mobile has been postponed, and organizers said updated details would be announced soon.
- Dauphin Island Art Trail: The event planned for Saturday has been rescheduled for Nov. 21.
- Bras Across the CAUSEway: The event has been rescheduled for Nov. 1 at USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park, and registration has been extended through Nov. 1.
- Sea Glass Initiative Community Resource Fair: The fair, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 8, has been postponed. A new date has not been announced.
Businesses and nonprofits
- New Horizons Credit Union: Branches are closed Friday, Oct. 9, and will reopen Tuesday, Oct. 13.
- Mary’s Shelter Gulf Coast Thrift Store: The Elberta store is closed Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10.
Free sandbags in Mobile
The city of Mobile began handing out free sandbags at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at two locations, while supplies last:
- Mobile Police Department First Precinct, 2601 Dauphin Island Parkway, Suite D
- James Seals Community Center, 540 Texas St.
The city asked residents to follow its official social media accounts for updates on services and schedules.
Why so many events were called off early
Organizers of outdoor festivals face a hard deadline when a tropical system approaches. Tents, stages, vendor booths and electrical equipment take time to set up and tear down, and loose materials can become dangerous projectiles in strong winds. Tropical storm-force winds, defined as sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph, often arrive many hours before a storm’s center, and the outer bands of a hurricane can produce sudden downpours and brief tornadoes well inland.
Calling off events early also gives visitors time to change travel plans and frees police, fire and public works employees, who would otherwise be assigned to traffic and security, to focus on storm preparations. Volunteers, vendors and performers can turn their attention to protecting their own homes and businesses.
School systems weigh similar factors. Closing a day before the worst weather arrives keeps buses off the road during deteriorating conditions and gives families time to secure property, gather supplies and, if needed, evacuate.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs through Nov. 30, and while activity typically peaks in late summer, October storms in the Gulf are not unusual. Coastal Alabama residents still remember Hurricane Sally, which came ashore near Gulf Shores in September 2020 as a slow-moving Category 2 storm and caused widespread flooding and power outages in Baldwin County.
Getting ready while the calendar is clear
With school out and many offices closed, emergency managers encourage residents to use the time to finish storm preparations rather than to travel unnecessarily. Commonly recommended steps include:
- Stocking at least three days of drinking water and nonperishable food for every member of the household, including pets.
- Refilling prescriptions and gathering first-aid supplies.
- Charging phones and backup batteries, and keeping a battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio on hand.
- Filling vehicle gas tanks and keeping some cash available in case power outages knock out card readers and ATMs.
- Bringing in or tying down patio furniture, trash cans, grills and decorations that could become airborne.
- Placing insurance papers, identification and other important documents in a waterproof container.
- Checking on elderly neighbors and relatives who may need help preparing.
Parents with children home from school should also plan for the possibility of power outages and be ready to move the family to an interior room if a tornado warning is issued, since tropical systems often produce brief tornadoes in their outer rain bands. Never drive or walk through flooded roads; the National Weather Service warns that even shallow moving water can knock a person off their feet or carry away a vehicle.
Staying informed
Closings and reschedulings are likely to continue as the storm passes and officials assess conditions. Residents should check with their school systems, employers and event organizers before heading out, and follow official updates from the National Weather Service office in Mobile, the National Hurricane Center, the Mobile County Emergency Management Agency and the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency.
Once the storm has moved through, check reopening dates carefully. Several facilities, including Foley city offices and the Gulf State Park pier, have said they will reassess or reopen Monday, Oct. 12, but those plans could change depending on what the storm leaves behind.