As Hurricane Isaias churns in the Gulf of Mexico, Team Rubicon has activated its Emergency Operations Center and begun staging Route Clearance Teams along the Gulf Coast ahead of the storm. The first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, Isaias is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 or 2 Hurricane along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday.
On Friday morning, October 8, Hurricane Isaias was located roughly 380 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The National Hurricane Center has issued a storm surge warning for the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River; a hurricane warning for Ocean Springs, MS, to the Bay/Gulf County Line, FL; and a tropical storm warning for the area from the Jefferson/Plaquemines Parish Line, LA, to west of Ocean Springs, MS, and east of the Bay/Gulf County Line to Aucilla River, FL.
While the exact landfall location, timing, and strength of Hurricane Isaias are still uncertain, the impacts will reach well beyond the storm’s projected path. Life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and flash flooding, isolated tornadoes, dangerous surf, and prolonged power outages are possible from the Gulf Coast to well inland.
In addition to the activation of the EOC, Team Rubicon has established mission planning teams that will track the storm’s path, impacts, and potential unmet needs, and has mobilized multiple Route Clearance Teams ahead of landfall. The RCTs, which include specialized teams of volunteer sawyers and heavy equipment operators, will conduct route clearance operations after Hurricane Isaias passes, clearing roads and opening access to critical services for emergency response vehicles, first responders, individuals, and communities. Route clearance is often among the first priorities after a disaster, helping emergency responders and residents reach areas cut off by fallen trees, debris, or damaged roads.
Team Rubicon’s additional potential Hurricane Isaias response capabilities may include, but are not limited to, Quick Reaction Forces, additional route clearance, chainsaw operations, damage and impact assessment, debris removal, and Point of Distribution support.
