Hurricane watches posted on the northern Gulf Coast as Isaias strengthens

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Indian Pass, Florida, as Tropical Storm Isaias strengthened in the southwestern Gulf. Tropical storm watches extend into southeast Louisiana and Florida's Big Bend, and a storm surge watch runs from the mouth of the Mississippi River to Yankeetown, Florida. Forecasters expect Isaias to become a hurricane Thursday, with landfall possible from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle late Friday or early Saturday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 25 north Florida counties.