Hundreds of Thousands Without Power as Hurricane Isaias Hits Florida Panhandle and Alabama

GULF BREEZE, Fla. – More than 726,000 customers in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were without electricity early Saturday after Hurricane Isaias struck the U.S. Gulf Coast, flooding roads and toppling trees as the storm pushed inland.

Isaias came ashore Friday as a Category 2 hurricane before rapidly tracking north through Alabama and losing strength. Even so, forecasters warned of potentially deadly storm surge along parts of the Florida Panhandle, as well as heavy rain and flooding across much of the Southeast through the weekend.

The storm’s conditions could also produce tornadoes in parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas, forecasters said.

Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, as the Atlantic season’s first hurricane. Hurricane-force winds battered the low-lying Gulf Coast, an area known for its white-sand beaches, vacation homes, waterfront bars and seafood shacks.

“The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don’t be getting out on the roads,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Friday.

Floodwater covered roads in Destin, while police in nearby Pensacola urged residents to remain indoors because debris had blocked streets. The full extent of the damage was not immediately clear, but residents shared images online showing fallen trees and power lines. One social media video appeared to show a roof being torn from an inn in Pensacola.

Several Panhandle counties temporarily halted emergency response operations Friday night because conditions were too dangerous.

Southern Alabama also saw flooding. Officials in Mobile reported downed trees and power lines, while roads in Houston County, in the state’s southeastern corner, were closed because of similar hazards.

Poweroutage.com reported that more than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama had lost electricity by early Saturday.

Tim Mowry rode out the hurricane at his Pensacola home, where he said the wind sounded like a train whistle as it forced its way through a gap in his patio door. His power failed around 4:30 p.m., though a generator kept some electricity running. Standing water filled his backyard and sections of his fence were torn away, but Mowry said the storm was less severe than he had anticipated.

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“As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate,” Mowry said.

His son, who lives roughly 15 minutes away, attempted to drive over after losing power. He was forced to turn back when fallen trees and power lines made the roads impassable.

Although Isaias was weakening, forecasters expected it to produce significant rainfall as it moved inland. Between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters), with locally higher amounts possible, was forecast through the weekend across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest Georgia.

Isaias was the first hurricane to strike the eastern U.S. since Milton battered Florida’s Gulf Coast in 2024. The storm was expected to bring heavy rain and possible flooding across much of the Southeast over the weekend before affecting parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.

The hurricane also disrupted air travel, grounding most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports. All flights arriving at or departing from Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport were canceled. President Donald Trump also canceled plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, saying he did not want to interfere with emergency response operations.

In the Pacific, Hurricane Simon strengthened into a Category 4 storm as it approached Mexico’s coast.

Tropical Storm Rachel was also forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain to northern Mexico and Southern California during the weekend.

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Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, Golden from Seattle and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; and Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report.