Hurricane Isaias slammed into Florida’s Panhandle “like a freight train,” knocking out power to more than 420,000 people from Friday night into Saturday morning, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins said.
“This thing hit like a freight train. It was fast. It came in like a Mike Tyson punch,” Collins told Fox News on Friday evening. “It’s real. I’m sure there is going to be real damage.”
Collins estimated that about 900,000 people followed evacuation warnings before Isaias reached the coast near Destin as a Category 2 hurricane.
He urged anyone who stayed behind to remain indoors and avoid putting emergency crews in danger. “If you have ridden it out, please hunker down and stay safe,” Collins said. “Let’s not put our first responders at risk. They’ll get to you as soon as humanly possible, but let’s let them do their job and remain safe as well.”
The National Weather Service downgraded Isaias to a Category 1 storm at approximately 10:30 p.m. The hurricane was still producing maximum sustained winds of 90 mph.
Collins said he did not expect the storm to become another Hurricane Michael, the catastrophic Category 5 hurricane that devastated the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018. “I don’t think we’re going to have a Michael-like event here,” he said. “It’s just going to sit and have pockets of rain, thank goodness.”
Early reports indicated no catastrophic damage across the Sunshine State, although Collins cautioned that the threat had not yet passed.
“The real extent of the damage as this thing crested and hit shore, I think you’ll start to see good feedback coming through,” Collins said. “We’re not hearing anything dire at this moment. God willing, that’s how it stays.”
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The Republican leader, who has held office since August 2025, said officials had so far received reports involving power outages and radio damage.
PowerOutage.US reported that roughly 425,000 Floridians remained without electricity as of 2 a.m. Saturday.
Collins defended the state’s push to encourage evacuations, saying the danger was not worth the risk. “You’ve got to listen, got to lead and you’re going to live,” he said. “It’s that simple.”
He also praised his own leadership and that of Gov. Ron DeSantis during preparations for the hurricane.
“We’ve led from the front,” Collins said. “We have prioritized response and made sure we are on top of this.”
More than 5,000 National Guard members were placed on standby, along with 400 state guard personnel, Collins said.
Officials also prepared more than 6,000 utility workers and vehicles to respond to outages across the Panhandle.
Collins warned residents that hazards could remain after the hurricane moved through. “Once the storm is passed, the risk is not over,” he said. “Don’t go out there, don’t get in water puddles or exposed water. Look out for power lines and remain safe. Use extreme caution.”
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