At least 4 dead as cyclone Isaias drenches southern US

At least four people lost their lives in the southeastern United States following the landfall of post-tropical cyclone Isaias on Florida's Gulf Coast. The storm first made landfall near the resort community of Destin as a Category 2 hurricane, with sustained winds of 165 kph, before weakening overnight. Isaias was the first hurricane of an Atlantic season weakened by a historic El Nino weather phenomenon, and the first to hit the US mainland since 2024.

Residents in Mary Esther, a coastal community near Destin, expressed relief that the storm had weakened before making landfall. Matt Howard, a local resident, stated that their family was fortunate to be safe despite the storm's destructive force. However, officials reported at least four deaths related to the storm, including two resulting from trees falling on homes in Pensacola, Florida, and Birmingham, Alabama.

Throughout the affected areas, damage was widespread, with overturned vehicles, downed trees, and power lines scattered across the landscape. Several buildings suffered roof damage. Streets along the coast were largely deserted following mandatory evacuations ordered by authorities ahead of the storm.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis cautioned residents after the storm passed, warning of lingering hazards such as downed power lines and standing water. A man was found dead in Florida with a generator running in his garage, according to CNN. Over 500,000 US customers were without electricity as of Saturday night, according to the PowerOutage.com tracker.

The US energy department authorized the release of up to four million barrels of reserve crude to mitigate the impact of Isaias's path through the Gulf coast region, the country's oil refining hub. Flood risks remained high as the storm moved northward, with the National Hurricane Center warning of potential rainfall amounts of up to 25cm.

The threat was particularly concerning in the mountains of North Carolina, where communities had already experienced deadly flooding from hurricane Helene in 2024. Isaias's late arrival in the season was attributed to an exceptionally strong El Nino phenomenon, which generates strong vertical wind shear over the Atlantic, often weakening storms.