Hurricane Isaias live updates: hundreds of thousands without power as storm batters US Gulf Coast

Key Points:

• Storm surges are caused by hurricane winds pushing ocean water onto land, with atmospheric pressure also contributing; shallower continental shelves increase surge height, and water can take days to recede.
• Storm surges are extremely dangerous due to the heavy, fast-moving water capable of sweeping people away, damaging structures, and becoming more severe during high tide, as seen with Hurricane Katrina's 25-foot surge causing many deaths.
• Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, made landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, causing widespread power outages affecting over 750,000 people across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
• The National Hurricane Center reports Isaias weakened to a post-tropical cyclone and is expected to dissipate soon, but heavy rains continue to pose flash flooding and landslide risks in the southeastern US, especially in Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and the Southern Appalachians.
• Residents in areas from the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River were under storm surge warnings and advised to evacuate if ordered, highlighting ongoing safety concerns amid the storm's impacts.