Hurricane Isaias kills four after landfall near Destin, leaves hundreds of thousands without power

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, late on Friday, October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105 mph. It is the first Atlantic hurricane to reach the United States this season and the latest first hurricane formation on record for the basin since 1905.

The National Hurricane Center reported the landfall around 8:30 p.m. local time. Within hours the storm weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with winds dropping to 35 mph as it moved inland over Alabama and Georgia. Four people died in connection with the storm. In Escambia County, Florida, a woman was killed when a tree fell on her home and pinned her. Another person in the same county died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator indoors in a garage. Two deaths occurred in Alabama, including one in Birmingham when a tree struck a home.

Power outages peaked above 800,000 customers across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. Florida accounted for the largest share, with more than 430,000 customers dark at one point. Alabama reported over 280,000 outages and Georgia around 100,000. By Saturday afternoon the total had fallen but remained above 600,000 as crews worked. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated that no search-and-rescue requests came in shortly after landfall, indicating limited structural collapse, but he warned that hazardous conditions continued.

Wind gusts exceeded 115 mph in several Panhandle locations, including Pensacola Beach and Milton. The storm tore roofs from hotels and condominiums, damaged airport facilities in Pensacola, and flattened a boathouse in Destin. Flooded roads and downed trees blocked highways. Storm surge reached up to six feet in some coastal areas. The U.S. Storm Prediction Center placed about 12.6 million people from Florida to Virginia under a level-two risk for severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and heavy rain as the remnants moved north.

Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico dropped sharply earlier in the week as companies evacuated platforms. The storm’s path also disrupted energy infrastructure onshore. Cleanup began Saturday in daylight, with highways reopening and bridges cleared once winds eased. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport reopened later on Saturday.

Isaias formed as a tropical storm on October 7 and strengthened rapidly. It marks the first Atlantic hurricane in nearly a year after Melissa in October 2025. Forecasters expect the remnants to bring additional rain and flood risk into the southern Appalachians before dissipating on Sunday. Residents were urged to avoid flooded roads and to use generators only outdoors with proper ventilation.

The deaths and outages follow a pattern seen in prior Gulf landfalls where wind-driven tree falls and improper generator use cause more fatalities than direct structural collapse once the storm weakens. Recovery will depend on how quickly power returns and whether inland flooding develops along the path of the post-tropical system.