Hurricane Isaias Makes Category 2 Landfall, Four Dead Across Three States
Four people died after Hurricane Isaias struck the southern United States.
Officials reported two deaths each in Alabama and Florida. The storm made landfall in Florida late Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (168 km/h). It was later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, a former tropical storm that has lost its tropical structure but still carries wind and rain, according to the most recent reporting. BBC
In Escambia County, Florida, two deaths were reported, including a woman killed after a tree fell on her house. In Alabama, a sheriff was injured when a tree fell on him while he responded to a car crash during the storm.
The National Hurricane Center placed landfall as a 90-kt hurricane at 0130 UTC near Destin, Florida. Kt stands for knots, the standard unit for wind speed over the ocean. In the advisory following landfall, the agency lowered Isaias's initial intensity to 80 kt. National Hurricane Center Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 storm on the 1-to-5 scale, with winds strong enough to tear roofs and topple trees and power lines. It was the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season. AP
Alabama, Florida and Georgia declared states of emergency ahead of arrival, a legal step that unlocks extra crews and funds. Florida and Alabama issued mandatory evacuation orders to thousands of people.
At least 600,000 people were without power in several states as of Saturday afternoon, according to poweroutage.us. Other tallies Saturday ran higher. More than 664,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were left without power as the storm downed trees and power lines, and one national wire estimate put the total at about 800,000 customers, mostly in Florida and Alabama. AP
Damage included rooftops torn from structures, downed power lines and flooded roadways as Isaias weakened on Saturday. Outages extended across Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Forecast guidance ahead of landfall projected impact over the western Florida Panhandle, with a likely transition to a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama. The Hurricane Warning west of the Alabama/Florida line was discontinued and changed to a Tropical Storm Warning. The Center forecast Isaias would likely become post-tropical by late Saturday.
Inland flooding was the secondary hazard. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned the Carolinas and Georgia could see floods from up to 10 inches (25cm) of rainfall. Additional rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches were possible across the remainder of the Southeast into northern Florida.
The broader context here is a fast-moving Gulf landfall with effects spread across three states rather than concentrated at the coastline. Pre-landfall emergency declarations and evacuation orders gave the Panhandle lead time, but treefall caused the reported deaths and injury, and grid failure spread into Georgia as the system tracked inland. For emergency managers, the next operational questions are power restoration sequencing in Florida and Alabama and riverine and urban flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas as rainfall accumulates behind the center.
