Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Florida's Panhandle, resulting in over 420,000 residents losing power from Friday night into Saturday morning, according to Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. Collins described the storm's impact, stating, "This thing hit like a freight train. It was fast. It came in like a Mike Tyson punch." He noted that approximately 900,000 people evacuated before the storm approached Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane.
As of 10:30 p.m., Isaias was downgraded to a Category 1 storm, with maximum winds recorded at 90 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Collins expressed relief that the storm would not cause damage similar to Hurricane Michael, which struck the area in 2018. Preliminary reports indicated no catastrophic damage, although Collins cautioned that the storm's effects were still being assessed.
As of 2 a.m. Saturday, approximately 425,000 Floridians were without power, as reported by PowerOutage.US. Collins emphasized the importance of following evacuation orders for safety and noted that over 5,000 National Guard members and 400 state guard personnel were on standby. Additionally, over 6,000 utility vehicles were prepared to assist with power restoration efforts across the Panhandle. Collins urged residents to remain cautious after the storm passed, advising against exposure to water and downed power lines.