Hurricane Isaias has made landfall in Florida, bringing winds of 110 mph (175 kph) and prompting evacuations across the state. The storm, which has weakened to a category 2 hurricane, struck Florida's western panhandle on Friday evening. States of emergency have been declared in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia due to expected life-threatening storm surge and flooding, with some areas anticipating up to 9 feet (2.7m) of flooding.
Florida Senator Rick Scott urged residents in affected areas to evacuate immediately, stating in a social media post: "DO NOT WAIT! Get out NOW!" Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has also issued a mandatory evacuation for non-residents and tourists in key counties likely to be impacted by the storm.
Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has been delayed this year due to El Niño conditions. The storm is expected to bring severe weather to the US Gulf Coast, with the National Hurricane Center warning of life-threatening storm surge.
As of Friday evening, hurricane-force winds extended up to 35 miles (55 km) from the storm's center, while tropical storm-force winds reached as far as 205 miles (335 km). The storm is forecast to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley over the weekend.
Before landfall, hundreds of thousands were already without power in the southeastern US, with over 350,000 outages reported in Florida and 170,000 in Alabama, according to PowerOutage.us. Residents in the Florida panhandle have been advised to seek shelter under an "Extreme Wind Warning."
Some locals have chosen to remain in their homes despite evacuation orders. John Guoth, a resident of Navarre, Florida, stated that he and his wife would stay, having prepared their property for the storm. Pensacola resident Brandin Ruth mentioned that they have been securing their buildings and preparing for the worst.
The Waffle House chain closed several locations in the storm's path, which is often seen as an indicator of a storm's severity in the southern US. US President Donald Trump announced he would not attend a college football game in Alabama due to the hurricane, opting instead for a rally in Tennessee.
In addition to Isaias, two other storm systems are affecting North America this weekend: Hurricane Simon, approaching Mexico's Pacific coast, and Tropical Storm Rachel, which is expected to make landfall near the US-Mexico border. High tides and storm swells have already caused flooding in Newport Beach, California, as residents are advised to avoid flooded areas.