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Four dead as Isaias weakens to post-tropical cyclone after striking Florida panhandle
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Hurricane Isaias made landfall on Florida’s panhandle as a category 2 storm, causing at least four deaths—two in Escambia County, Florida, and two in Alabama—due to falling trees and carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator.
- The storm caused widespread power outages affecting nearly 550,000 customers across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, along with significant property damage including blown-off roofs and flattened structures.
- Despite weakening to a post-tropical cyclone, Isaias continued to pose threats of flooding and tornadoes across the southeastern U.S., with rainfall expected to reach up to 15 inches in some areas.
- Authorities reopened major coastal routes by Saturday morning, but officials warned against driving through flooded roads due to safety risks, and emergency declarations remain active with federal resources deployed.
- Isaias is notable for forming late in the hurricane season with sustained winds of 105 mph, contrasting NOAA’s earlier predictions of a below-average hurricane season influenced by a strong El Niño.
