Isaias Leaves Thousands Without Power as Flooding Threatens US

Nearly 390,000 customers in Florida's Panhandle and southern Alabama remained without electricity Sunday, October 11, 2026, as residents assessed damage from Hurricane Isaias and the storm's remnants brought heavy rain and flooding risks to the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic. At least four deaths were linked to the storm, which also damaged buildings and disrupted essential services.

The National Weather Service warned that heavy rainfall could trigger flash flooding and urban flooding across affected areas. River flooding continued in western North Carolina, while parts of Virginia and North Carolina faced the possibility of tornadoes. Dangerous surf and rip currents were also expected along the Gulf and southeastern Atlantic coasts.

Philippe Papin, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said the system was expected to continue moving north along the Appalachian Mountains, potentially bringing additional rainfall and gusty winds.

"We're expecting that heavy rainfall to continue here across the central Appalachians into the mid-Atlantic here during the day on Sunday, and we're still expecting isolated flash and urban flooding, and there may be also some residual gusty winds associated with the system as it continues to kind of move up the spine of the Appalachian Mountains," said Philippe Papin, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

In Burke County, North Carolina, emergency officials reported a water rescue on the Catawba River behind a high school shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday. Two unhoused people who had been camping were caught off guard when water levels rose.

A spokesperson for the county emergency management agency confirmed that both people and their dog were rescued safely.

"Both individuals and their dog were rescued and are safe now," said a spokesperson for the county emergency management agency.

Nearly a dozen weather stations in the county recorded rainfall totals ranging from about 5 inches (13 centimeters) to 9.57 inches (24 centimeters) over 24 hours as of 9 a.m. Sunday. The highest total came from the fire and rescue station in Enola. The National Weather Service said rainfall was easing, although rapidly rising rivers and additional flooding remained possible.

In Florida, hurricane-force winds tore the roof off a hotel in Pensacola. The city's mayor said the airport had also sustained damage. In Destin, the storm flattened a boathouse, while part of a high-rise building's facade was torn away in Panama City Beach.

Residents in Pensacola sought essential supplies as power outages disrupted daily life. At a church distributing supplies through the United Cajun Navy, hundreds of cars lined up Sunday morning.

Yvette Haro arrived at 5 a.m. after being turned away the previous day when supplies ran out. She was seeking water, paper towels, toilet paper and cleaning products for her household, which includes a 10-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter.

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

Although her home escaped physical damage, the electricity outage created problems with food storage and preparation.

"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.

Authorities reported several storm-related deaths across Florida and Alabama. In Florida's Escambia County, Sheriff Chip Simmons said a woman died when a tree fell on her home. A man died from carbon monoxide exposure caused by a generator operating in his garage, while four members of his family, ages 4 to 72, received medical treatment and were expected to survive.

In Birmingham, Alabama, a person died when a tree fell on a house, according to Fire Chief Cory Moon. Josh Johnson of the state's emergency management agency said another storm-related death occurred in Barbour County in a vehicle crash involving a fallen tree.

Along Alabama's Gulf Coast, authorities in Mobile reported numerous fallen trees and power lines. The storm had made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday as a Category 2 hurricane before moving into Alabama with tropical-storm-force winds.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Georgia after previously approving declarations for Florida and Alabama, making federal assistance available. The U.S. Energy Department also authorized emergency exchanges of crude oil from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve to address supply disruptions caused by the storm.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane Simon had reached Category 4 strength, with winds of 150 mph (241 kph), as it approached Mexico's coast. Heavy rain beginning Sunday threatened parts of southwestern Mexico with potentially life-threatening flooding and mudslides.

Papin also said Rachel was expected to bring strong winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California after becoming a post-tropical cyclone overnight.