Four dead and thousands without power after Hurricane Isaias lashes US
Isaias battered parts of the southern US with strong winds and heavy rain, leaving at least 500,000 people without electricity by Saturday evening, according to PowerOutage.
Four people died. Two deaths were reported in Florida’s Escambia County, including a woman killed when a tree struck her home. In Alabama, a sheriff was injured by a falling tree while responding to a crash.
The storm brought down trees, damaged roofs and flooded roads. Florida National Guard members rescued people from a vehicle trapped in floodwater, while officials in Alabama warned that the weather could produce tornadoes.
Florida and Alabama had issued emergency declarations and mandatory evacuation orders before the storm arrived. Charleston, South Carolina, urged residents to stay indoors as high tide was expected to reach 7.5 feet.
Isaias was forecast to weaken as it moved northeast. NOAA warned that heavy rainfall could still cause flooding in Georgia and the Carolinas, with as much as 10 inches possible.
Key points
- At least 500,000 people were without power across several states on Saturday evening.
- Falling trees and floodwaters caused deaths, injuries and emergency rescues.
- Isaias was expected to weaken, but rainfall could bring further flooding in the Carolinas and Georgia.