Hurricane Isaias Death Toll in Florida Rises to Six

The number of storm-related fatalities in Florida due to Hurricane Isaias has increased to six, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday. The updated toll includes two recent deaths: a woman whose home was struck by a falling tree in Escambia County and a man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while using a generator improperly.

Governor DeSantis clarified that these two deaths occurred after the immediate storm impact, characterizing them as "attenuated from the storm." He explained that Florida's approach to counting storm-related deaths often includes consequences stemming from the storm's aftermath. The governor previously attributed four deaths to the storm: one in a car accident, two from disruptions to medical treatment, and one involving a falling tree during cleanup.

This grim update comes as recovery operations persist across the Panhandle, days after Hurricane Isaias made landfall as a Category 2 storm near Destin on the Gulf Coast. The storm brought destructive wind gusts up to 118 mph, heavy rainfall, and significant storm surge, leaving communities in its path severely damaged.

In addition to the Florida fatalities, two storm-related deaths were reported in Alabama. One individual died when a tree fell on their home in Birmingham. Details regarding the second death in Alabama were not immediately released.

At the peak of the hurricane's impact on October 9, more than 400,000 customers in Florida lost power. As of Wednesday morning, over 20,000 customers remained without electricity, predominantly in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, according to PowerOutage.com. Approximately 95% of customers who lost power during the storm have since had their service restored.

Initial damage assessments in Escambia County estimate approximately $64 million in costs for county repairs, emergency response, and recovery efforts. Florida's state-led recovery operation is transitioning from immediate response to addressing the aftermath, including debris removal, damage assessments, and aid distribution throughout the Panhandle. A resident of a storm-damaged apartment complex unloads his shovel on a pile of trash while cleaning out his apartment after Hurricane Isaias in Pensacola Beach, Fla. on Oct. 11, 2026.