Isaias closes in on the US Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane

GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Homeowners gassed up generators, filled bathtubs with water and bought last-minute supplies along the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday while Hurricane Isaias gained strength as it charged toward the beaches of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.The Category 3 storm has grown into a major hurricane — the first of an unusually quiet Atlantic season — and is expected to make landfall Friday night.Forecasters warned of a significant storm surge, damaging winds, flooding and possibly even tornadoes before the storm loses steam as it moves inland and delivers strong winds and rain well north into Atlanta.Isaias is expected to come ashore between Mobile Bay on the Alabama coast and the city of Destin in the Florida Panhandle — a low-lying coastal stretch known for powdery white sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.Residents in Panama City, Florida, braved the rain while filling sandbags Friday to protect their houses.“I mean, it’s just t