Hurricane Isaias Causes Damage and Power Outages in Southeastern US

Cleanup efforts are underway in Florida and Alabama following Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday, October 10, 2026. The storm, the first Atlantic tropical cyclone of the 2026 season, left approximately 356,000 customers without power in southern Alabama and northwestern Florida as of midafternoon Sunday, according to PowerOutage.com. At its peak, Isaias disrupted power to nearly 800,000 homes and businesses across the Gulf Coast. Sarah Gatewood, a spokesperson for Florida Power and Light (FPL), stated that workers from Florida and over two dozen other states have been mobilized to assist in power restoration efforts. The storm has been linked to at least four fatalities after making landfall as a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Isaias moved northward into Alabama on Saturday with strong tropical-storm-force winds before weakening into a post-tropical cyclone. Despite its diminishing strength, the storm poses ongoing risks for flash flooding in the mid-Atlantic region. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that Isaias has maximum sustained winds of 160 km/h (100 mph) and an estimated minimum central pressure of 28.88 inches (978 millibars). Residents in Florida and Alabama have reported significant damage due to high winds, including a Rest and Relax Inn in Pensacola losing its roof and a boathouse in Destin being flattened. In Pensacola, Mayor DC Reeves warned of critical drinking water shortages due to damage to drinking wells and infrastructure, advising residents to boil tap water before use. The storm also led to the indefinite closure of Pensacola International Airport due to severe damage. In Houston County, Alabama, fallen trees and power lines have made travel hazardous, and all roads in the county are closed until further notice due to an emergency flash flood warning.