Isaias lashes Southeast after making landfall in the U.S.
Isaias, the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, reached the Florida Panhandle near Destin on Friday evening as a Category 2 storm. By early Saturday, it had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone.
Officials said tens of thousands of people had evacuated. More than 697,000 customers across Florida, Alabama and Georgia were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us.
Hurricane warnings were canceled, but storm surge and tropical storm warnings remained for parts of Florida’s coast. Forecasters also expected heavy rain across the Southeast, with some areas potentially receiving 2 to 10 inches.
The storm disrupted air travel, grounding most Friday flights at several Panhandle airports. Reports and social media images showed fallen trees and power lines, as well as damage to a Pensacola inn; the full extent of destruction was not yet clear.
Isaias was expected to avoid the Gulf Coast’s largest oil hubs, but experts said outages that stop refinery operations could push fuel prices higher. The storm was forecast to keep bringing gusty winds and dangerous coastal flooding as it moved inland.
Key points
- Isaias made landfall near Destin as a Category 2 hurricane before weakening.
- More than 697,000 customers across three states lost power.
- Coastal warnings remained, while heavy rain and possible fuel-price increases were concerns.