Hurricane Isaias struck the eastern and southern US coast on Friday, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, flooding and life-threatening destructive storms, as Florida, Alabama and Georgia declared states of emergency and issued mandatory evacuation orders for coastal and low-lying areas in its path.
Isaias was classified as a dangerous Category 2 storm, and its eye made landfall near the city of Destin, Florida, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami. The hurricane’s maximum wind speed reached 169 kilometres per hour before weakening slightly as it moved inland. Communities in Florida and Alabama were hit by rain, flooding and destructive winds.
Weather stations in some coastal areas recorded wind gusts exceeding 180 kilometres per hour, amid warnings of rising water levels and flash flooding. At an emergency press conference on the storm, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to prepare and stay off the roads, saying: "The storm is already here..
Prepare properly and do not go out on the roads." DeSantis said rising water levels and flash flooding posed the greatest threat to residents’ lives across the region. The hurricane’s approach prompted authorities in Florida, Alabama and Georgia to declare states of emergency, while issuing mandatory evacuation orders for coastal and low-lying areas.
Federal measures coordinate relief efforts
The US administration approved federal protection measures to coordinate relief operations and the response to damage caused by the hurricane. President Donald Trump said late on Friday night that White House officials were closely monitoring developments related to the hurricane. US Secretary of Homeland Security Marcoin Mullen said: "The declaration of states of emergency in Florida and Alabama has been approved to ensure federal resources are available to deal with Hurricane Isaias".
Mullen added in a post on X that federal authorities were coordinating the response with state governments and local authorities. He urged everyone in the hurricane’s path to do their part to prepare for its dangers and remain on alert.
In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey urged all visitors and tourists to leave coastal areas immediately. Highways experienced severe congestion during the evacuations before traffic came to a complete standstill as safe evacuation windows closed and winds intensified.
Hurricane cuts power to hundreds of thousands
The hurricane cut power to more than 697,000 homes and businesses in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Data from the Power Outage US website showed that about 380,000 people in Florida and more than 210,000 in Alabama were without electricity as the hurricane reached the coast.
The storm’s impact extended to the energy sector in the Gulf of Mexico, where the Minerals Management Service announced the suspension of about 63% of oil production, equivalent to withdrawing 1.3 million barrels a day from the market. Some 57% of natural gas production was also suspended after major companies, including Shell and Chevron, evacuated workers from offshore platforms and rigs.
Isaias appears late in hurricane season
Isaias is the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season and appeared exceptionally late. It formed more than four months after the season officially began in June, matching a record dating back to 1905 as one of the latest hurricanes to appear in 121 years.
Meteorologists attribute the unusual delay in hurricane activity to the El Niño climate phenomenon that affected the Pacific Ocean during the year. The phenomenon caused sharp changes in wind patterns and water temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean, suppressing the formation and intensification of tropical storms to an unusual degree.
Warnings of flooding and secondary tornadoes
As the hurricane continued moving north towards Atlanta and the Tennessee Valley, weather centres warned that the risks of flash flooding and secondary tornado formation would persist. They also forecast coastal water levels to rise to nine feet in the area stretching from the Alabama-Florida border to Grayton Beach, urging residents to remain in shelters and safe areas until the storm had fully subsided.
