Hurricane Isaias hit Gulf Coast, spread rain and wind inland

Key Points:

• Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on October 9 as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 mph, marking the first U.S. mainland hurricane landfall in two years.
• The storm caused significant storm surge inundation along the Gulf Coast, with Panama City experiencing up to 5.6 feet, and produced extreme wind gusts exceeding 115 mph in parts of the western Florida Panhandle, leading to structural damage and widespread power outages affecting about 900,000 customers.
• Isaias brought heavy rainfall, with localized totals over 11 inches near the landfall area and substantial inland rain spreading through the Appalachians and Southeast, causing road washouts and flooding in parts of the Carolinas and Virginia.
• The hurricane spawned multiple tornadoes primarily across the Carolinas and eastern Georgia, damaging homes and buildings, including significant destruction near Allendale, South Carolina, and Candor, North Carolina.
• Originating as Tropical Depression Nine on October 6, Isaias rapidly intensified to become the first hurricane and major hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, setting a modern-era record for the latest first hurricane formation, before weakening slightly due to wind shear at landfall.