Hurricane Isaias Kills at Least Two After Bashing Florida Coast
The storm caused widespread power outages and tree damage across the Gulf Coast before weakening inland.
At least two people have died as a result of Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall on the Florida Gulf Coast late Friday night before moving through Alabama. The storm brought sustained winds of up to 105 mph and significant rainfall, resulting in widespread damage including downed trees and power outages affecting nearly 800,000 customers across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
Fatalities Reported in Escambia and Jefferson Counties
Emergency crews are currently surveying the extensive damage wrought by the Category 2 storm. In Escambia County, located in the far west of the Florida Panhandle, one death was confirmed shortly before 9 p.m. local time on Friday. Sgt. Melony Peterson of the Escambia County Sheriff's Office stated that a rescue team found a person pinned under a large tree inside their home when it collapsed.
A second fatality was reported in Jefferson County, Alabama, which includes Birmingham. Jim Coker, Director of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency, confirmed to NPR that a storm-related death occurred overnight. "A tree did fall on the house," Coker said, noting that the incident involved a single-family residence.
Widespread Power Outages and Recovery Efforts
The impact of Hurricane Isaias extended far beyond immediate fatalities. As of 11:50 a.m. ET Saturday, approximately 780,000 power customers remained without electricity in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, according to the monitoring site Poweroutage.us. This figure had been closer to 900,000 earlier on Saturday morning.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reported during a news conference that some counties experienced severe outages, with more than 80% of residents in Santa Rosa, Holmes, Washington, and Walton counties without power. The governor noted that approximately 16,000 utility workers began restoring service as early as 3 a.m. on Saturday, as this newspaper reported in Hurricane Isaias Threatens North Florida With Storm Surge And Winds.
Storm Weakening but Threats Persist
Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin around 8:30 p.m. Friday night with a storm surge of approximately five feet, falling short of the six to nine-foot forecast previously issued by meteorologists. The system was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone hours after making landfall.
By 5 a.m. local time on Saturday, sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph as the storm moved northward through Alabama. However, officials warn that flash flood threats persist inland. Forecasters also caution that tornadoes could spin off from the system, causing further disruption hundreds of miles from the Gulf Coast.
