Hurricane Isaias struck the Florida Panhandle as a strong Category 2 storm at 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. The eye passed just east of Destin, prompting a hurricane warning from east of Biloxi, Mississippi, to Panama City, Florida, and a storm‑surge warning that called for up to nine feet of water along the coast from the Santa Rosa/Okaloosa County line to Grayton Beach.
Officials issued extreme wind warnings and a flash‑flood emergency as the storm’s eyewall approached the Gulf Coast. The National Weather Service warned that “this is an extremely dangerous and life‑threatening situation!” and reported a 102‑mph gust at Pensacola City Hall. A tornado watch now covers the stretch from Pensacola to Tallahassee.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a Friday morning press conference that wind shear had weakened Isaias from a Category 3 to a Category 2 before landfall, but that strong winds and heavy rainfall remained serious threats. He noted that roughly 260,000 electric‑utility accounts were without power across the region and that transportation crews would begin clearing debris and inspecting bridges at 3 a.m. Saturday.
Power outages have already affected more than 430,000 customers in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi and Louisiana, with Florida alone reporting over 304,000 customers without electricity. Earlier in the day the number of outages had been reported at 120,000 across five states. The Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City halted all commercial flights at 1 p.m. CT as conditions deteriorated.
Emergency responders, including the Florida National Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, are on standby to assist with rescue operations where needed. Governor DeSantis promised a further update on Saturday morning as crews worked to restore power and address the storm’s aftermath.
<small>Source: Yahoo News — read the original story there.</small>