Two dead as Isaiah weakens to post-tropical storm after landfall in Florida | Hurricane Isaiah

Two people were killed in Isaiah after it made landfall on Friday in the Florida area as a Category 2 hurricane, according to authorities.

Both deaths occurred after trees fell on homes, one in Escambia County, Florida, and the other in Birmingham, Alabama, as the storm moved inland, local officials said.

At that time, although we were weak on Saturday we had a post-tropical typhoon, Isayas still poses threats of floods and typhoons as it enters the country, warned forecasters and officials.

In addition, more than 868,000 customers were without power across Florida, Alabama and Georgia early Saturday morning as those in the storm’s path began the cleanup process, according to PowerOutage.us.

Although the storm surge and hurricane warnings associated with Isaiah have been closed, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned that there may still be a “significant impact” associated with Isaiah over much of southern Alabama, Florida and southwest Georgia.

“Flash, urban and river flooding is possible across the region,” the NHC said in an advisory Saturday morning, adding that flash flooding and mudslides are likely across the southern Appalachians. “The risk of hurricanes will continue… [Saturday] afternoon in eastern parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. “

Isaiah through Sunday is expected to produce 4-8in of rain across southern Alabama, Florida’s panhandle and Big Bend regions, and southwest Georgia. Local totals of up to 15in are possible, especially between rain bands across the Florida panhandle and the Big Bend.

Across much of the rest of the southeastern US, rainfall amounts of 2-5in are expected, and local highs of up to 10in are possible, especially across the southern Appalachians and the coastal Carolinas.

Isayas made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday as a powerful Category 2 hurricane. It was the first Atlantic hurricane to arrive so late this season and battered the US Gulf Coast with heavy rain, strong winds and life-threatening flooding.

The storm’s maximum sustained winds were 105mph (169km/h), and it was forecast to dissipate on Sunday.

Isaiahs wind was so strong it sounded like a “train whistle,” Tim Mowry told The Associated Press after enduring the storm as his home in Pensacola, Florida.

Mowry explained the power outage on Friday afternoon but said he could rely on a generator. He said his son tried to drive towards his home after the place where he lived was cut off for about 15 minutes, but he had to turn around because fallen trees and power lines blocked the road.

All things considered, Mowry said he was “really lucky” in terms of his life during Isaiah’s time.

Crestview, Florida resident Ashley Weeks told news station WEAR that a tree from her backyard fell on her home, damaging the roof near her daughter’s bedroom and turning the ceiling into a pile of debris.

“It was just scary – everything, my whole life is in the house”, said Weeks. “We heard a loud noise … as if a bomb had exploded in the house, there was a loud noise. [saw] tree on the roof, and it was shaking.”

The governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, warned of “potential storms” and asked residents to “prepare for the worst”.

“Right now, we’re concerned about strong winds, heavy rain and possible tornadoes in parts of the state,” Ivey said. “As we approach the weekend and with any travel plans, make sure you have reliable information as conditions develop. We often hear from emergency managers: Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.

“That’s the approach we need with this storm system.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday that Florida power workers will spend the day assessing damage, repairing roads and doing maintenance work.

And while a strong El Niño appears to have limited the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic year-to-date, Isaiah’s formation in October with maximum sustained winds of 105mph marked a stark contrast to historical trends.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) has predicted a calm year for hurricanes at the start of the season that officially begins every year on June 1. Noah expected between three and six storms, much less than the average of seven. The August forecast from Noah lowered the expected number to between two and six.

Isais is one of the two most recent Atlantic hurricanes on record, including the record set on October 8, 1905. Otherwise, the second most recent date for the first Atlantic hurricane was September 11 – in 2002 and 2013.

None of the eight previous named storms for the 2026 Atlantic season have been stronger than a tropical storm.

The Associated Press contributed reporting