Symbolic imageIsaias weakens to post-tropical cyclone after killing four in US Southeast
Hurricane Isaias struck the Florida Panhandle on Friday night and has killed at least four people. Up to 670,000 customers were still without power on Saturday.
Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of 2026, came ashore near Destin as a Category 2 storm on Friday, 9 October, and weakened over Alabama to a post-tropical cyclone, the National Hurricane Center said. Local officials reported two deaths in Escambia County, Florida, and two in Alabama; falling trees killed one person each in Escambia and Birmingham. Another victim in Escambia was found in a closed garage with a running generator, and the sheriff's office said four members of that person's family were hospitalised with carbon monoxide poisoning.
Outages and damage
PowerOutage.us counted nearly 550,000 customers without power in Florida, Alabama and Georgia on Saturday afternoon, down from more than 900,000 earlier. The South China Morning Post and Folha, citing authorities, put the figure at about 670,000 when Mississippi is included. The Guardian reports a hotel roof torn off in Pensacola and a boathouse flattened in Destin.
Flood and tornado risk
The hurricane center warned of flash, urban and river flooding and of tornadoes in parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas as the system moves toward the Tennessee Valley.
Gulf energy and federal aid
Authorities said 69% of Gulf of Mexico oil and 57% of gas output stayed shut on Saturday, Folha reports. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said emergency declarations were approved for Florida and Alabama.