Tropical Storm Isaias is forecast to push heavy rain and possible tornadoes into the Ponte Vedra Beach area Friday and Saturday.

The storm is churning toward the northern Gulf Coast after forming Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. It carried maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of the National Hurricane Center's 1 p.m. CDT advisory. Isaias (pronounced ees-ah-EE-ahs) is the ninth named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season and is forecast to become a hurricane by Thursday, Oct. 8.

The storm's core is projected to make landfall between eastern Louisiana and the western Florida Panhandle late Friday or early Saturday. That track keeps the center well west of Jacksonville but places Northeast Florida on the storm's eastern side, where moisture and instability are greatest.

Ponte Vedra Beach and Nocatee sit squarely in that zone.

Action News Jax reported the eastern circulation will spread tropical moisture across the region Friday into Saturday, bringing heavy rain and the possibility of tornadoes. AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno warned that "the risk of severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes and waterspouts" can extend hundreds of miles east of the storm's center.

The National Weather Service identified the main concerns for Jacksonville and St. Johns County as heavy rain, coastal wind gusts of 25 to 35 mph and rough surf, the Florida Times-Union reported. The agency also warned of dangerous rip currents and beach erosion.

Minor tidal flooding could develop along the Atlantic coast, the Intracoastal Waterway and the St. Johns River through Thursday morning. River flooding could linger into the weekend.

The ground is already saturated. 3 to 8 inches of rain fell across Duval County and parts of St. Johns County in the 24 hours ending Wednesday morning, and the area was under a flood watch for a third straight day.

The NHC forecast 1 to 3 inches of rain across much of the Southeast, with localized totals up to 5 inches. A rainfall forecast specific to Ponte Vedra Beach was not available as of Wednesday afternoon.

State of emergency does not cover St. Johns County

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 26-202 on Tuesday, Oct. 6, declaring a state of emergency for 25 Florida counties, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management. The counties stretch from the Panhandle through the Big Bend region. St. Johns County is not among them.

The state emergency response team is staging generators, fuel, flood barriers, water, meals, tarps and sandbags in Tallahassee and the Santa Rosa area. The emergency order noted that parts of North Florida already faced saturated ground and elevated water levels, increasing the threat of flash and urban flooding, ABC News 4 reported.

What Ponte Vedra residents should do

St. Johns County Emergency Management had not issued a local advisory specific to Isaias as of Wednesday afternoon. The agency encourages residents to sign up for the Alert St. Johns notification system or text StJohnsEOC to 888777 to receive emergency alerts.

Residents can also use the county's "My Evacuation Zone" tool on the same site to check whether their address falls in an evacuation zone.

A new NHC track advisory was expected at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, which could shift the forecast for Northeast Florida.