Hurricane Isaias left at least four people dead, damaged homes and businesses, and knocked out electricity across parts of the southern United States after making landfall in Florida.
The storm weakened to a post-tropical cyclone as it moved inland, but heavy rain, flash flooding and strong winds continued to threaten communities on Saturday, October 10.
Officials reported two deaths in Florida and two in Alabama, according to the Associated Press. The storm also brought down trees, damaged buildings and disrupted roads and other infrastructure.
Deep Dive
How many people died in Florida and Alabama during Hurricane Isaias?
How many customers lost power after Hurricane Isaias, and which states were affected?
What damage and hazards did Hurricane Isaias leave behind?
Power outages affected hundreds of thousands of customers across several states, while weather alerts remained in place for parts of the Southeast.
Four deaths reported in Florida and Alabama
Two storm-related deaths were reported in Escambia County, Florida. One person was killed when a tree fell on a house, according to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.
{{/usCountry}}Two storm-related deaths were reported in Escambia County, Florida. One person was killed when a tree fell on a house, according to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons.
{{/usCountry}}Another man died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator inside a poorly ventilated garage.
Four other people inside the home were taken to hospital, according to the sheriff's office. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents against using generators indoors.
“Don’t run the generator inside,” DeSantis said. “It’s something that can be fatal.”
Two more deaths were reported in Alabama. Governor Kay Ivey confirmed the fatalities, although her initial statement did not provide details about both cases, as per Associated Press.
One death was linked to a tree falling on a house in Jefferson County, while another was reported in Barbour County.
The deaths highlight the risks that can continue even after a storm begins to weaken, particularly from falling trees, damaged buildings and unsafe generator use.
Hundreds of thousands lose power
The storm caused widespread electricity outages across the Southeast. Reports on Saturday put the number of customers without power at between roughly 670,000 and nearly 900,000, depending on the reporting time and source.
Florida had the largest number of affected customers, followed by Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. Utility crews were working to restore service as authorities assessed the damage.
Strong winds tore roofing from buildings, brought down trees and damaged businesses. In Milton, Florida, an apartment complex lost part of its roof.
A petrol station canopy collapsed in Gulf Breeze, while footage from Pensacola showed extensive debris around a hotel whose roofing had been stripped away.
Residents also described frightening moments as the storm passed through. Jayme Mitich, a Florida mother whose apartment roof was partly ripped off, told The Associated Press: “When the storm started to pick up, I could hear something going through the back that just didn’t sound normal. Like it sounded like a freight train. It was so loud.”
Mitich and her 13-year-old daughter survived without injuries, but the damage left them facing uncertainty about where they would stay.
Flooding and tornado threats continue
Although Isaias weakened after moving inland, the threat from heavy rain and flooding persisted.
The National Hurricane Center warned that rainfall could cause flash and urban flooding across parts of the Southeast and the southern Appalachians.
Landslides were also possible in mountainous areas.
The storm's remnants brought further concerns about tornadoes, with warnings issued for parts of Georgia and South Carolina. Strong wind gusts also threatened to bring down more trees and power lines.
Authorities urged residents to avoid flooded roads. In Charleston, South Carolina, officials asked people to stay home as high tide was expected to reach 7.5 feet.
“After dark, floodwater is much harder to see and it's impossible to judge how deep it is from behind the wheel,” the city said.
The National Weather Service also warned that flooding could continue even as the storm weakened, with additional rain expected across affected areas.
Emergency measures and oil supply disruptions
The storm also disrupted energy production in the Gulf. In response to supply concerns, the US Department of Energy authorised emergency loans of up to four million barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
ExxonMobil and BP America could each borrow up to two million barrels under the arrangement, with the companies required to return the oil along with additional barrels, as per Reuters. The move was intended to help offset supply disruptions caused by the storm
Florida, Alabama and Georgia had declared states of emergency ahead of Isaias, allowing authorities to prepare for the storm and coordinate assistance.
Officials continued to assess property damage, restore electricity and warn residents about remaining hazards.