Hurricane Isaias Damages Southeast as Flooding Spreads

Hurricane Isaias left a trail of destruction across Florida, Alabama and the Carolinas after making landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm on Friday, with strong winds, heavy rain and flooding threats spreading northward. At least four people died, and hundreds of thousands of customers lost power, according to officials and utility outage data.

The storm damaged homes, businesses and infrastructure in the Florida Panhandle before its remnants moved into the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center warned that coastal flooding was already occurring in some areas as high waves combined with high tides.

"Major coastal flooding has already been occurring in some areas, with observed water levels running as much as 1.5 feet above predictions," said the National Hurricane Center.

Florida communities faced major cleanup efforts after Isaias produced destructive winds. Pensacola reported roof damage at a hotel and airport impacts, while Destin and Panama City Beach saw structural damage from the storm.

Pensacola Mayor said the airport suffered damage during the storm, describing the condition with the phrase "took some damage" in comments cited by PBS. Residents also waited for emergency supplies as recovery operations continued.

In Florida's Escambia County, authorities reported two deaths linked to the storm, including a woman killed by a fallen tree and a man who died from carbon monoxide fumes from a generator. In Milton, Florida, a tree collapse damaged a home where Phyllis Hennebery was inside.

"I never expected to be 77 years old and go through this," said Phyllis Hennebery.

Power outages remained widespread after the hurricane. CBS News reported more than 150,000 Florida customers were still without electricity Monday morning, while Alabama had more than 20,000 outages.

Community groups distributed food and water to residents affected by the storm. Pastor Jonathan Kaushal described the effort to support people recovering from the hurricane.

"Lots of people in need after the hurricane and so we just want to be there for the community," said Pastor Jonathan Kaushal.

Western North Carolina experienced some of the heaviest rainfall from Isaias remnants. Weather stations recorded totals above 8 inches in several locations, including Sugar Hill Fire Department in Marion with 8.32 inches and Busick in Yancey County with 8.17 inches, according to WLOS.

Flooding and landslides affected McDowell County, while Lake Lure officials opened dam gates after receiving 6.51 inches of rain. Emergency crews reported rescues and road closures as rivers rose across the region.

"Anything that they're willing to give us is helpful," said Yvette Haro.

Haro was among residents seeking supplies from a distribution effort in Pensacola. She said losing electricity created additional challenges for storing food and managing daily needs after the storm.

"The biggest thing is our food going bad. It's really hard to keep grilling everything and then where do we store all this food?" said Yvette Haro.

Isaias also produced severe weather beyond the Southeast. Its remnants contributed to tornadoes in Georgia and the Carolinas, while Tropical Storm Rachel brought large waves to Southern California and flooding concerns into Nevada.

In Long Beach, California, officials reported coastal damage and unsafe structures after Rachel's waves struck the shoreline. More than half a dozen homes were declared structurally unsafe, according to PBS.

"This area is completely shattered and vulnerable. The fact that Rachel came and gave it the knockout blow I don't want to say it can't get any worse for these houses, but it's really, really sad," said Jack Gordon, a Long Beach real estate agent.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson urged residents to avoid the peninsula while crews worked on cleanup. He said the storm's impacts were unusual for the community.

"It is not normal that we see this type of activity, especially for our residents in the peninsula. These kind of impacts are not normal, they are unprecedented for our community," said Rex Richardson, Long Beach Mayor.