Hurricane Isaias Snaps Power Lines as It Nears Florida Coast

Hurricane Isaias struck the US Gulf Coast on Friday evening, causing widespread power outages, strong winds, and a dangerous storm surge. Initially classified as a major hurricane, Isaias weakened to a Category 2 storm with winds reaching 110 miles per hour. By nearly 8:30 p.m. New York time, over 380,000 homes and businesses across Florida and Alabama had already lost power.

The storm was expected to make landfall along the western panhandle of Florida, with storm surge warnings extending west into Louisiana. Oil producers in the Gulf of Mexico shut in 1,458,814 barrels of crude production daily, equivalent to 72% of regional output, while 1.259 billion cubic feet of natural gas, or 59% of regional output, was also shut in.

Three fuel-making facilities were in or near the storm's projected path, including Chevron's 356,000 barrel-a-day refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi. As Isaias moved east, it could bring heavy rain and damaging winds to Alabama, Tennessee, and Ohio, with up to 8 to 12 inches of rain expected in parts of Alabama and the Carolinas.

Florida suspended tolls on bridges to facilitate evacuation efforts, and Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 27 counties. President Trump canceled his plans to attend a football game in Tuscaloosa to avoid disrupting emergency response. After coming ashore, Isaias was forecast to race across Alabama and into the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, bringing significant rainfall to the region.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Rachel was set to hit northern Baja California, while Hurricane Simon, with top winds of 100 mph, was expected to make landfall in Jalisco and Colima, Mexico, potentially threatening the key port of Manzanillo and its LNG import terminal.