Isaias leaves power outages and flooding threat across US Southeast

Flooding risk after landfall

Isaias left the southeastern United States facing a continuing flood threat on Saturday, October 10, after crossing Florida’s Gulf Coast. AFP, reporting in NDTV, said the storm had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone as it travelled north. More than 800,000 electricity customers across Florida, Alabama and Georgia were without power on Saturday morning, according to the tracker cited in that report.

The National Hurricane Center said Isaias had reached land near Destin late Friday with sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. Its forecast warned that some southeastern areas could receive more than 10 inches of rain. The agency also warned of possible flash floods and landslides in the Southern Appalachians, where North Carolina communities are still recovering from Hurricane Helene in 2024. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a Saturday briefing that flooding remained a concern even after the storm’s centre had moved out of the state.

AFP reporters saw electricity crews repairing power lines near Destin.

Damage and fatalities

The Associated Press reported at least four storm-linked deaths, including deaths involving trees falling on homes in Florida and Alabama. Its report also described a fatal generator-related carbon monoxide incident in Florida and a vehicle crash involving a fallen tree in Alabama. AFP’s separate account reported two deaths from trees falling on homes.

AP described damage to roofs and building facades along the Florida Panhandle as the storm moved north. Despite the damage, several main coastal routes were open by Saturday morning, with many roads clear of fallen trees and power lines.