Hurricane Isaias hits Florida's Gulf Coast, leaving hundreds of thousands without power

Hurricane Isaias made landfall on the US Gulf Coast near Destin, Florida, on Friday evening (US time), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). It is the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season.

The NHC reported maximum sustained winds of 105 mph at landfall. Isaias reached major-hurricane (Category 3) strength before landfall. Reuters reported winds of 115 mph (185 kph) as it approached on Friday.

The storm weakened over land. The NHC downgraded it to a post-tropical cyclone early on Saturday. "Isaias has very rapidly weakened over Alabama and has transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone," the NHC said, according to AFP. The system was forecast to move north across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley over the weekend.

Hundreds of thousands of electricity customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia lost power, according to outage-tracking websites. Figures varied by time and by tracker. The BBC, citing PowerOutage, reported at least 600,000 people without power in several states as of Saturday afternoon.

Florida, Georgia and Alabama declared states of emergency. Federal emergency declarations were approved for Florida and Alabama, according to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Coastal communities in Florida and Alabama were evacuated, in some cases under mandatory orders. Airports in northwestern Florida suspended flights.

Casualties

Four people died, two in Alabama and two in Florida, according to officials cited by the BBC. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey wrote on X: "Unfortunately, we have also learned that two Alabamians have lost their lives," the BBC reported.

In Escambia County, Florida, Sheriff Chip Simmons said a woman was killed when a tree fell on her house. He later said a man died of carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in a poorly ventilated garage, according to the BBC. Separately, according to the BBC, Joey Williams told NewsNation that his wife died when a tree fell through their roof. The reports do not make clear whether these accounts describe the same death. The other outlets reviewed by Vocemundi do not include casualty figures.

What is disputed

The storm's category at landfall differs between reports. DW and AP describe Category 2 at landfall. Reuters, citing the NHC, reported Category 3.

What each side says

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to "buckle down at this point. Don't be getting out on the roads," according to DW. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned that burglary, looting and theft during the emergency become first-degree felonies, DW reported.

Marc Alessi of the Union of Concerned Scientists, quoted by AFP, said record Gulf sea temperatures are due to fossil fuel-driven climate change. Michael Fischer of the University of Miami, also quoted by AFP, linked near-record Atlantic wind shear this year to a strong El Niño event.

Analysis

Isaias weakened quickly, but its effects may continue. US weather agencies warned of inland flooding risks, including in the Carolinas and Georgia. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe those outcomes. The pace of power restoration and the full casualty count remain open questions. Only the BBC has reported deaths so far. AFP reported temporary halts to a large share of Gulf oil and gas output, and the reports do not say when it would resume. Scientists quoted by AFP linked warm Gulf waters to climate change. Attributing any single storm's strength to climate change remains a matter of scientific analysis, not settled fact.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.