Hundreds of thousands were without power across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia early Saturday as Tropical Storm Isaias moved inland. The storm made landfall Friday evening near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane before rapidly weakening.
As of early Saturday, Isaias was positioned south of Montgomery, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kph). While tropical storm and storm surge warnings have been discontinued, forecasters warned of the potential for flash flooding and tornadoes across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Rainfall totals were expected to range from 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and the Big Bend region of Florida.
More than 911,000 customers lost power across Florida, Alabama, and Georgia, according to poweroutage.com. In Pensacola, Florida, residents reported downed trees and power lines, with some social media videos showing structural damage. Roads in several areas were flooded and closed due to debris.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to stay off the roads as the storm made its initial landfall. Some Panhandle counties temporarily suspended emergency response operations Friday night due to dangerous conditions.
Isaias was the first hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. East Coast since Milton in 2024. The storm is also forecast to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, with its effects expected to reach the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
President Donald Trump canceled plans to attend the University of Georgia versus University of Alabama football game in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, stating he did not want to disrupt emergency response efforts.