Isaias Weakens After Hitting Florida and Alabama

Hurricane Isaias weakened into a post-tropical cyclone Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, after striking Florida's Gulf Coast and moving inland across Alabama, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without electricity while heavy rain, flash flooding and possible tornadoes threatened communities across the southeastern United States.

The storm made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday as a Category 2 hurricane before its maximum sustained winds dropped to 35 mph (55 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Early Saturday, its center was about 25 miles (40 kilometers) south-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, and nearly 105 miles (170 kilometers) south of Birmingham, Alabama.

More than 911,000 customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia were without power early Saturday, according to poweroutage.com, as reported by The Associated Press. A separate report from CBC News cited more than 726,000 customers without electricity in Florida and Alabama, reflecting a different geographic count.

Although all tropical storm and storm surge warnings had been discontinued by Saturday, forecasters continued to warn of dangerous coastal flooding and heavy rainfall. The NHC forecast 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, or potentially more in some locations, across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend and southwestern Georgia over the weekend.

Isaias was expected to move into the Tennessee Valley later Saturday and Sunday, with additional rainfall and potential flooding extending into parts of the Midwest and Northeast by Monday. Forecasters also warned that conditions could produce tornadoes across portions of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel as dangerous conditions spread along the Gulf Coast.

"The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don’t be getting out on the roads," DeSantis said at a news conference Friday.

Flooded streets in Destin and debris-covered roads in nearby Pensacola disrupted travel. Pensacola police warned residents to stay off the streets, while officials in Mobile, Alabama, reported fallen trees and power lines. Authorities also closed roads in Houston County, in southeastern Alabama, because of hazardous conditions.

Some counties in Florida's Panhandle temporarily suspended emergency response operations Friday night because conditions were too dangerous. The full extent of the damage remained unclear Saturday, although residents shared images of fallen trees and power lines, and a social media video showed a roof being torn from an inn in Pensacola.

Tim Mowry, a Pensacola resident who stayed home during the storm, described intense winds and damage to his property. He lost electricity around 4:30 p.m. Friday but used a generator to maintain power, while standing water covered his backyard and sections of his fence were torn down.

Mowry said the experience was less severe than he had anticipated.

"As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate," Mowry said.

His son, who lives about 15 minutes away, attempted to drive to Mowry's home after losing electricity but turned back because fallen trees and power lines blocked the roads.

Isaias rapidly intensified over unusually warm Gulf of Mexico waters before reaching the coast. Experts have said human-caused climate change has made marine heat waves more likely, while favorable atmospheric conditions, including weak upper-level winds, also helped the storm develop. Increased wind shear shortly before landfall contributed to its weakening and disrupted its structure.

The storm also disrupted air travel Friday, grounding most flights at several Panhandle airports. All flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport were halted. President Donald Trump canceled plans to attend Saturday's football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, saying he did not want to interfere with emergency response efforts.

Isaias was the first hurricane to make landfall on the eastern United States since Hurricane Milton struck Florida's Gulf Coast in 2024. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon strengthened to Category 4 as it approached Mexico, while Tropical Storm Rachel was forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.