Isaias weakened on Saturday to a post-tropical cyclone after striking Florida’s panhandle as a category ۲ hurricane the previous night, though it still posed flooding and tornado threats as it moved inland.
More than ۸۶۸,۰۰۰ customers were without power across Florida, Alabama and Georgia on early Saturday as those in the path of the storm began the cleanup process, according to PowerOutage.us.
Although storm surge and tropical storm warnings associated with Isaias had been discontinued, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned there would still likely be “considerable impacts” associated with Isaias across much of southern Alabama, Florida’s panhandle and south-western Georgia.
“Flash, urban and river flooding is possible across the region,” the NHC said in a Saturday-morning advisory, adding that there was a considerable potential for flash flooding and landslides across the southern Appalachians. “A risk for tornadoes will persist … through [Saturday] afternoon across parts of the eastern Florida panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas.”
Isaias through Sunday is expected to produce rainfall amounts of ۴-۸in across southern Alabama, Florida’s panhandle and Big Bend regions, and south-west Georgia. Localized totals up to ۱۵in are possible, particularly within rain bands across the Florida panhandle and Big Bend.
Across much of the remainder of the south-east US, rainfall amounts of ۲-۵in are expected, and localized higher amounts up to ۱۰in are possible, especially across the southern Appalachians and coastal Carolinas.
Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday as a potent category ۲ hurricane. It was an atypically late-forming first Atlantic hurricane of the season and lashed the US Gulf coast with heavy rain, fierce winds and life-threatening flooding.
The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds were ۱۰۵mph (۱۶۹km/h) and it was predicted to dissipate on Sunday.
Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey, warned of “possible spinoff tornadoes” and asked residents to “prepare for the worst”.
“Right now, we are worried about strong winds, heavy rain and possible spinoff tornadoes in certain parts of the state,” Ivey said. “As we approach the weekend and any travel plans, make sure you have reliable information as conditions develop. We often hear in emergency management: Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.
“That is the approach we need with this particular storm system.”
Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, said in an interview with Fox News on Saturday morning that his administration had not received any reports of fatalities yet in the state. He attributed that to likely heightened preparation and previous experience with other tropical storms and hurricanes.
“We’re a peninsula in the middle of a tropical part of the world,” DeSantis said. “We’ve gotta deal with these things,” DeSantis said.
And while the stronger El Niño seemed to limit the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic for the year so far, Isaias forming in October with maximum sustained winds of ۱۰۵mph marked a stark contrast from historical trends.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) predicted a quiet year in terms of hurricanes at the beginning of a season that officially begins annually on ۱ June. Noaa anticipated between three and six hurricanes, well below the average of seven. An August forecast from Noaa cut the expected number to between two and six.
Isais is one of the two latest-forming Atlantic hurricanes on record, tying a record set on ۸ October ۱۹۰۵. Otherwise, the second-latest date for the first Atlantic hurricane was ۱۱ September – in ۲۰۰۲ and ۲۰۱۳.
None of the eight previous named storms of the ۲۰۲۶ Atlantic season intensified above tropical storm status.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
