In short
- Four people died in Hurricane Isaias: two in Florida’s Escambia County and two in Alabama, according to officials.
- About 500,000 people across several southern US states were without power as of Saturday evening, the tracker PowerOutage reported.
- Isaias made landfall in Florida late on Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105mph (168km/h) and was later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.
- Alabama, Florida and Georgia declared states of emergency, and Florida and Alabama issued mandatory evacuation orders to thousands of people.
- Hurricane Simon strengthened to category four off Mexico’s Pacific coast and was expected to make landfall overnight.
Four people died and an estimated 500,000 were without power in several southern US states as of Saturday evening after Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Florida with maximum sustained winds of 105mph (168km/h), officials and the tracker PowerOutage said. Two deaths were reported in each of Alabama and Florida, including people killed when trees fell on their houses.
Where did Hurricane Isaias make landfall?
Isaias came ashore in Florida late on Friday and was later downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. The storm felled trees and ripped the roofs off buildings. Alabama, Florida and Georgia all declared states of emergency before it arrived, and Florida and Alabama issued mandatory evacuation orders to thousands of people. Officials rescued people from vehicles submerged by floodwaters, and the Florida National Guard said soldiers “stopped, swam to the vehicle and pulled its occupants to safety” after a truck became stuck in a flood ditch.
How did the four deaths happen?
Two deaths related to Isaias were reported in Florida’s Escambia County. Sheriff Chip Simmons said a woman was killed when a tree fell on her house. Joey Williams told NewsNation that his wife died after the couple went outside to take pictures of the damage and a tree fell through the roof when they went back inside. “I was able to squeeze out. My wife didn’t make it,” Williams said. Simmons later reported that a man had died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in a garage that was not properly ventilated, and that four other people in the same house were taken to hospital.
In Alabama, a sheriff was injured when a tree fell on him as he was responding to a car crash. Governor Kay Ivey said in a post on X that two Alabamians had lost their lives, without giving details of the circumstances. “Unfortunately, we have also learned that two Alabamians have lost their lives,” she said. Ivey added that officials were concerned about “spinoff tornadoes” in the state from the strong winds and heavy rain.
What did officials warn about flooding?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said flooding was a continued risk and warned of a “very hazardous situation”. In Charleston, South Carolina, officials asked people to stay home on Saturday night as high tide was expected to reach 7.5ft (2.3m). “After dark, floodwater is much harder to see and it’s impossible to judge how deep it is from behind the wheel,” the city said. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned that the Carolinas and Georgia could see floods from up to 10 inches (25cm) of rainfall.
Which other storms are approaching?
Hurricane Simon strengthened to category four as it bore down on Mexico’s Pacific coast, where three men were convicted of murdering Australian brothers, and was expected to make landfall overnight. Tropical Storm Rachel, also in the Pacific, was expected to hit southern California later on Saturday. Isaias was the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, which has largely been delayed by El Niño conditions in the Pacific. The storm was expected to continue weakening as it travelled north-east.
Frequently asked questions
How many people died in Hurricane Isaias?
Four people died: two in Florida’s Escambia County and two in Alabama, according to state and local officials. The Florida deaths included a woman hit by a falling tree and a man who died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator.
Where did Hurricane Isaias make landfall and how strong was it?
Isaias made landfall in Florida late on Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105mph (168km/h), before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.
How many people lost power in Hurricane Isaias?
About 500,000 people in total were without power in several states as of Saturday evening, according to the tracker PowerOutage.
Which storms were expected after Hurricane Isaias?
Hurricane Simon strengthened to category four and was expected to make landfall overnight on Mexico’s Pacific coast, while Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to hit southern California later on Saturday.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)