Hurricane Isaias strengthened into a Category 2 storm Thursday as Florida officials warned millions of residents about another potential danger that could follow the storm: flesh-eating bacteria.
Isaias was packing maximum sustained winds of 100 mph Thursday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said the state is preparing for the possibility that Isaias could strengthen further and make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane Friday evening or early Saturday.
Forecasters are also warning about a potentially severe storm surge.
Water levels could rise as much as seven feet near and east of the storm’s center along parts of the northern Gulf Coast.
That has raised concerns about Vibrio vulnificus, a dangerous bacteria found in warm coastal waters.
The Florida Department of Health warns that floodwater and standing water following hurricanes can increase the risk of exposure.
The bacteria can enter the body through cuts, scrapes or puncture wounds.
In severe cases, infections can rapidly destroy tissue, trigger septic shock and become fatal within one or two days.
Dr. Norma Beatty of the University of Florida College of Medicine said Vibrio infections have historically increased after major storms.
“Vibrio infections have been shown to rise after hurricanes,” Beatty said.
She explained that storm surge can push Gulf water into neighborhoods and even into homes, creating situations where people may walk through contaminated water.
“Storm surge waters from the Gulf breach into our neighborhoods and even into our homes, where people are now possibly trudging through water that contains the bacteria,” she said.
Beatty urged anyone with cuts or open wounds who comes into contact with storm surge water to wash the area thoroughly with clean water.
She also warned residents to closely monitor wounds for signs of infection.
Florida has seen spikes in Vibrio cases following major hurricanes before.
In 2022, the year Hurricane Ian hit the state, Florida recorded 74 Vibrio infections and 17 deaths.
The numbers rose even higher in 2024, when Hurricanes Helene and Milton made landfall.
That year, Florida recorded 82 cases and 19 deaths.
Both totals were well above the state’s average annual death toll of roughly 10 between 2017 and Oct. 8, 2026.
Chamteut Oh, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, said residents should be aware that bacterial levels can rise after a hurricane, per the Daily Mail.
“That could be a potential risk we should be worried about,” Oh said.
“People may not know how exactly the level of bacteria goes up, but they should be aware that the pathogens can increase right after Isaias, and they can last a long time.”
The warning comes as Isaias continues to threaten a wide stretch of the Gulf Coast.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for parts of Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, southwestern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Some inland areas of Alabama and Florida are also under warnings.
The storm is expected to bring damaging winds, flooding and dangerous storm surge conditions to parts of the region.
The bacteria warning adds another health concern for residents who may have to deal with flooded streets and homes after the storm passes.
Officials are urging people to avoid contact with floodwater whenever possible.
Anyone who must enter the water is being warned to protect open wounds and wash any exposed skin thoroughly afterward.
With Isaias now at Category 2 strength and potentially intensifying further before landfall, residents across the Gulf Coast are being told to prepare not only for the storm itself, but for the health risks that could remain once the water begins to recede.
