Hurricane Isaias leaves two dead and widespread outages in the US Southeast

Hurricane Isaias has left two people dead and caused widespread disruption across the southeastern United States after making landfall near Destin, Florida, before weakening as it moved inland through Alabama. The storm brought heavy rain, strong winds, flooding and downed trees and power lines across Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Officials also warned that dangerous conditions could continue even after the system weakened.

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The hurricane struck the Florida Panhandle on Friday evening as a Category 2 storm, with sustained winds of 169 km/h (105 mph), according to the supplied report. By Saturday morning it had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with winds of about 55 km/h (35 mph). One person died in Birmingham, Alabama, when a tree fell on a house overnight, local emergency officials said.

A second person was killed in Escambia County, Florida, after a tree fell during the storm, although Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said state officials had not confirmed any storm-related fatalities. Power outages were among the most visible effects of the storm, with more than 900,000 electricity customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia without power early on Saturday. That figure later fell to under 800,000, according to the report.

Flooding also forced road closures in parts of southern Alabama, including Houston County, while Pensacola, Florida, reported damage to an airport and a hotel roof. Trees and power lines came down across the city, leaving some residents without electricity and blocking roads. The storm matters because it combined immediate loss of life with a broad infrastructure impact across several states.

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The report said officials were concerned about continued flooding and possible tornadoes even after the hurricane weakened. DeSantis warned that "the flooding story is not over," saying saturated ground and continued rainfall could still produce dangerous flooding a day or two after the storm passed. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey also said her team was watching for strong winds, heavy rain and possible spinoff tornadoes.

Isaias was described as the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, which adds to its significance as an early-season storm affecting a large stretch of the Southeast. The damage pattern described in the report - fallen trees, blocked roads, damaged buildings and prolonged outages - is consistent with a fast-moving storm that can still cause major disruption after landfall. State search and rescue resources were said to remain available in case rising waters required emergency rescues.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also warned residents to be alert for contractors seeking to exploit the situation, indicating concern about post-storm fraud. What remains unclear is the final confirmed death toll, given the difference between local reports and the governor's statement on fatalities. It is also not yet clear how long power restoration will take or whether additional flooding or tornado damage will emerge as the storm's remnants move on.

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