Hurricane Isaias made landfall late in the evening of October 9 in the Florida Panhandle at Category 2 strength.
Wind gusts of more than 110 mph were recorded in several locations across the panhandle, as well as flooding from storm surges. More than 700,000 customers find themselves without electricity.
Summary of Isaiah
Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, Friday evening with sustained winds of 105 mph, a Category 2 hurricane.
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It was the first hurricane to make landfall on the continental United States in exactly two years, since Milton struck western Florida on October 9, 2024.
A rarely issued extreme wind warning was issued Friday evening for West Florida, including Pensacola and Destin, due to the likelihood of wind gusts greater than 115 mph in front of the Isaias eyewall.
The highest gust recorded was 186 mph in Santa Rosa Sound, Florida, where sustained winds of 91 mph were also measured.
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Pensacola reported a wind gust of 102 mph earlier Friday evening. Gulf Breeze, Florida, located across Pensacola Bay from Pensacola, reported a wind gust of 97 mph and sustained winds of 83 mph.
Early observations show water levels exceeded 4.0 feet above normally dry ground in Destin and 5.6 feet in Panama City, Florida, and were likely higher in the western Panhandle.
One caveat to these storm surge totals is that they are measured relative to Mean High Water (MHHW) and this number includes tidal influences, so they should not be interpreted solely as storm surge heights.
The highest wind gust reported was an impressive 117 mph, three miles east-southeast of Oriole Beach. Two miles west and southwest of Pensacola, at City Hall, a gust of 102 was reported.
A roof at the Rest and Relax Inn on Plantation Road in Pensacola was torn off. Several collapsed gas station canopies were reported in Pensacola (Blue Angel Parkway and Mobile Highway) as well as Crestview. Trees were uprooted, including one destroying a business in Fort Walton Beach. Several RVs were also overturned, including one on U.S. 98 between Gulf Breeze and Navarre.
Less than 12 hours before landfall, a NOAA instrumented Saildrone measured a gust of 104 mph near Isaias’ eyewall, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In Alabama, a gust of 75 mph was reported near Orange Beach while in Birmingham, a gust of 49 mph.
Trees fell directly on residences in Mountain Brook, Birmingham (Five Points & Ensley), Opelika (manufactured home), and Ladonia (tree crossing house).
All roads were impassable in Conecuh County due to debris and fallen trees.
Georgia saw a 68 mph gust at Warner Robins while Hartsfield-Jackson Airport saw a 45 mph gust.
Isaiah’s precipitation
In terms of heavy rainfall, Bellwood, Alabama received over a foot of rain in just 13 hours. Caney Creek/FAWN Station, Florida recorded a fall of 12.06 inches in 24 hours, with a fall of 9.67 in 3 hours and a fall of 4.15 inches in 1 hour.
Reports of flash flooding were seen at the Westland Apartments in Bellair, Florida, while flash flooding left a vehicle stranded in floodwaters near Sale City, Georgia.
In Florida, Bayside Subdivision and Destin recorded 7.18 inches and 7.52 inches of precipitation, respectively.
The Greater Atlanta area saw 1 to 3 inches of rain over a 6-hour period early Saturday.
A flash flood warning was even in effect in part of Atlanta that morning.
And on Saturday, several tornadoes were observed by storm spotters in the Savannah River Valley, including near Newington and Oliver, Georgia.
There were also numerous reports of tornadoes in South Carolina on Saturday. Near Appleton, South Carolina, four homes were severely damaged, along with numerous downed trees and power lines. Barnwell County Aiken County and Newberry County also reported tornadoes.
On October 11, the remnants of Isaias moved toward North Carolina, causing heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides.
A few tornadoes were also reported in North Carolina, near Candor, Clarendon and Atkinson, North Carolina.
Numerous flood watches and warnings were also issued in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania on October 11.
Isaias replaced “Ike” on one of the Atlantic name lists after that name was removed following the destructive and deadly 2008 hurricane.
It was not used in its first year of eligibility in 2014, since we only reached the eighth name, Hanna, that year.
However, the name was used in 2020 to refer to a storm that eventually moved up the East Coast with destructive winds.
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