Published on October 12, 2026
Residents of the southeastern United States began cleanup efforts after Hurricane Isaias, the first Atlantic tropical cyclone of the 2026 season, struck Friday near Destin, Florida.
As of mid-afternoon Sunday, about 356,000 customers remained without power in south Alabama and the northwest Florida region, according to data from PowerOutage.com, an independent tracking site.
At its peak, the storm knocked out power to nearly 800,000 homes and businesses on the Gulf Coast.
Sarah Gatewood, a spokeswoman for the utility company Florida Power and Light (FPL), announced that workers across Florida and more than two dozen other states had mobilized to restore power.
At least four deaths have been linked to Isais after it made landfall as a Category 2 storm on the five-level Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The storm tracked north to Alabama on Saturday with strong tropical storm force winds before weakening to a post-tropical cyclone and heading further north toward the Appalachian Mountains.
Although its strength is diminishing, the storm continues to endanger the Mid-Atlantic region with the potential for flash flooding.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), surface observations indicate that Isaias now has maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and an estimated minimum central pressure of 28.88 inches, or 978 millibars.
Across Florida and Alabama, residents reported damage from the storm’s high winds.
A Rest and Relax Inn hotel in the resort town of Pensacola, Florida, had its roof torn off during the hurricane and a boathouse was razed in Destin.
The immediate struggle for basic necessities was hardest in Pensacola, the westernmost part of the Florida Panhandle, where the storm knocked out power grids and caused significant structural damage.
Hundreds of cars were lined up Saturday morning around a distribution site for the United Cajun Navy, a volunteer disaster relief organization.
Pensacola Mayor DC Reeves warned of severe drinking water shortages following the storm, which affected drinking water wells and water infrastructure. Residents, he said, remain subject to the advisory to boil tap water before using it.
“We are wrapping up day three of storm response and recovery operations, and we remain focused on public safety, clearing debris, and restoring critical infrastructure and services,” Reeves said on social media.
Isaias also forced the indefinite closure of Pensacola International Airport, Florida’s 10th largest airfield, due to severe damage.
Fallen trees and power lines continue to make travel dangerous in Houston County, Alabama, which remains under a flash flood emergency warning, according to state emergency officials.
“Due to the impacts of Hurricane Isaias, all roads in Houston County are closed until further notice,” the agency posted on X.
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