Hurricane Isaias, the first storm of the 2026 Atlantic season, has killed two people and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power across the Southeastern United States.
The storm came ashore near Destin, Florida, on Friday evening at Category 2 strength before weakening as it pushed inland across Alabama overnight.
According to local emergency officials, one person died in Birmingham, Alabama, when a tree fell onto a home overnight. Another person died in Escambia County, Florida, after a tree came down in the storm, local authorities said.
However, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday that state officials have not confirmed any storm-related deaths, including the report from Escambia County.
Isaias made landfall with sustained winds of 169 km/h (105 mph), bringing powerful gusts and heavy rain to Florida's Panhandle. By Saturday morning, the storm had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone with winds of about 55 km/h (35 mph).
More than 900,000 power customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia lost electricity by early Saturday. That figure later dropped below 800,000, according to PowerOutage.us.
Fallen trees and downed power lines caused widespread disruption, while flooding forced the closure of multiple roads in southern Alabama, including Houston County. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said Saturday morning that her team was concerned about "strong winds, heavy rain and the potential for secondary tornadoes."
Local officials in Pensacola, Florida, reported that strong winds damaged an airport and tore the roof off a hotel. Trees and power lines also came down across the city, leaving some residents without power and blocking roads.
Although the storm has weakened, officials warned that dangerous conditions could persist. Heavy rain threatens to trigger flash flooding across parts of the Southeast.
"The flooding story isn't over," DeSantis said Saturday, warning that saturated ground and continued rain could cause dangerous flooding a day or two after the storm passes. He said state search-and-rescue teams would remain on standby in case rapidly rising water requires emergency rescues.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also warned residents to be on guard against contractors who prey on storm victims as households begin repairing damaged property.
