Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida with severe effects expected across several states

Key Points:

• Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, as a dangerous category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105 mph, bringing damaging winds, heavy rain, flooding, and life-threatening storm surges to Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
• The storm caused widespread power outages affecting nearly 500,000 customers in Alabama and Florida, with reports of roofs ripped off buildings, snapped tree branches, and flash flooding hazards across the region.
• Governors of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi declared states of emergency, with evacuations ordered for some coastal communities and extensive deployment of National Guard troops and emergency resources to assist in storm response.
• Isaias is notable for being one of the latest-forming Atlantic hurricanes on record, prompting significant shutdowns in Gulf offshore oil and gas production, and leading to unusual closures such as multiple Waffle House restaurants in the Florida Panhandle.
• Despite weakening from a major category 3 hurricane, officials warned of continued life-threatening conditions including storm surges up to 7 feet, powerful wind gusts, and potential tornado-like winds as the storm moves inland across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley.