At least four people have lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall on Friday night near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm, according to the latest update from CNN.
Two of the victims were registered in Escambia County, Florida, and two others in Alabama.
Isaias reached the Florida Panhandle coastline with sustained winds of 105 mph and gusts exceeding 100 mph, generating a storm surge of up to six feet.
It was the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season and the first landfall of a hurricane on U.S. soil since Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm south of Tampa exactly two years ago.
In Escambia County, a person was trapped under a tree that fell on their home and was found without signs of life by the county rescue team, as confirmed to CNN by local Sheriff spokesperson Melony Peterson.
The second death in that same county occurred under different circumstances: a man was found dead in his garage, where a generator was left running. Four family members—ages 72, 24, five, and four—were taken to a hospital with non-fatal symptoms, indicating a likely case of carbon monoxide poisoning, a recurring risk after hurricanes in Florida.
In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey confirmed two fatalities in her state. "This storm cannot pass quickly enough."
It brought strong winds across Alabama, toppled trees, cut off electricity, and caused damage. Unfortunately, we also learned that two Alabamians lost their lives. I am praying for their loved ones this morning," he stated.
One of those victims died when a tree fell on a home in Birmingham. The Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency stated that power outages, downed trees, and debris removal were at that time "the main concerns across the county."
The material damages and power outages were extensive. Nearly 900,000 customers were left without electricity at the peak of the outages in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia.
Escambia County was one of the hardest hit, with over 125,000 customers without service. In Pensacola, the winds ripped roofs off buildings and brought down poles and wires throughout the city.
Isaias weakened to a post-tropical cyclone during the early hours of this Saturday while moving inland, but the threat did not subside.
Isolated tornadoes, strong winds, and flash flooding continue to pose a risk in parts of Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas, and southern Tennessee.
The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, urged residents to exercise caution in the coming days. "There will be direct impacts from the storm on the lives and safety of individuals.
"In the days that follow, injuries and, unfortunately, fatalities tend to occur. So it remains a very dangerous situation," he warned, while assuring that all state bridges were open and that the necessary resources were being deployed to restore power and clear the roads.
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