Life-threatening Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida, bringing high winds and heavy rain
The US' National Weather Service (NWS) has warned a life-threatening storm surge is expected from Dauphin Island, Alabama, to Suwannee, Florida.
On Friday evening, Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Florida near the city of Destin, bringing winds of 105 mph (around 169 kph) with it. Video footage from social media captured the high winds and heavy rain wreaking havoc in the area, with one hotel seemingly having its roof torn off in Pensacola, located just along the coast from Destin in the Florida Panhandle.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a warning of a life-threatening storm surge from Dauphin Island, Alabama, to Suwannee, Florida, urging residents in the warned areas to adhere to the guidance of local officials. The NWS forecasted extremely dangerous and damaging hurricane-force winds, particularly in gusts, over certain parts of the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, where a Hurricane Warning remained active.
The NWS advised residents in those regions to have a safe room ready to withstand the storm and brace for extended power outages. Strong winds were anticipated to affect vast portions of the southeastern United States, with Isaias also expected to unleash heavy rainfall throughout the broader region over the weekend. Flash flooding, urban flooding, and significant river flooding were all on the potential list, along with possible landslides in the Southern Appalachians.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reported that approximately 260,000 customers were left without power as the category 2 hurricane made landfall, covering the area from Pensacola to Panama City and the state capital, Tallahassee. He confirmed that restoration crews would be activated following the storm.
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