GULF BREEZE, Fla. -- Isaias left behind a trail of damaged rooftops, downed power lines and flooded roadways Saturday as it weakened and was no longer a hurricane. It was blamed on at least one death in Florida after a tree fell on a home.
The storm made landfall Friday near Destin, Fla., a Gulf Coast area known for powdery white-sand beaches and dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars, and seafood shacks. After it weakened overnight to a post-tropical cyclone, forecasters warned of potential flash flooding and tornadoes as the storm moved inland across Alabama. Hundreds of thousands of customers were without power.
The possibility of life-threatening storm surges still loomed for parts of the Florida Panhandle, along with a potential for 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimetres) of rain across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend over the weekend.
Early Saturday, Isaias was about 25 miles (40 kilometres) south-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama and nearly 105 miles (170 kilometres) south of Birmingham, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 km/h), the National Hurricane Center said. It was expected to move into the Tennessee Valley later Saturday and Sunday.
“All tropical storm surge warnings have been discontinued as of this morning, but there are still high wind warnings for portions of the Southeast,” Robbie Berg, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Hurricane Center in Miami. “So even though it has become post-tropical, it still does remain a wind threat, as well as a heavy rainfall threat. We could see some areas of significant flash flooding over the next couple of days.”
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said state roads were open and officials had not received any search and rescue requests while warning about the possibility for flooding in the day sahead. “Sometimes these things happen a day or two days after the storm goes through,” he said.
In Escambia County, Sheriff Chip Simmons said in a video posted on his Facebook page that one woman died after a tree fell on her home. He did not provide additional details.
Isaias, which was the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, caused some damage when it came ashore.
Roads in Destin were flooded, while in nearby Pensacola, police warned people to stay off the streets because of debris. Many area residents posted pictures online of downed trees and power lines, and one social media video showed a roof being ripped off an inn in Pensacola.
Strong hurricane winds blew the roof off a hotel in Pensacola and the city’s mayor, D.C. Reeves, said on his Facebook page that the airport “took some damage.” Some power was out downtown, he said, and there were trees and power lines down in some areas.
Gas stations in the Florida towns of East Milton and Destin suffered significant damage. A condominium also was damaged in Panama City, insulation from the building was spread across a parking lot.
Parts of southern Alabama also were flooded, with officials in Mobile reporting downed trees and power lines. Roads in Houston County, which is in the southeastern corner of the state, were closed because of similar conditions.
Less than 900,00 customers in Florida, Alabama and Georgia were without power early Saturday, according to poweroutage.com.
Tim Mowry, who rode out the storm from his home in Pensacola, said the wind was so intense it sounded like a train whistle as it whipped through a crack in his patio door. He lost power around 4:30 p.m. but was able to rely on a generator. Standing water also covered his backyard, and parts of his fence were ripped down, but overall he said the storm wasn’t as bad as he expected.
“As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate,” Mowry said.
Isaias was the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Simon strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane as it approached Mexico’s coast.
Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.
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Sophie Bates, Emilie Megnien, Hallie Golden and John Seewer, The Associated Press
Megnien reported from Panama City, Fla., Golden reported from Seattle, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Fla.; Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn.; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, S.D.; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Ala.; and Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Ark. contributed to this report.
