Isaias weakens, but flooding threat and outages persist

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 for 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 of rain across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend over the weekend.

Early Saturday, Isaias was about 25 miles south-southwest of Montgomery, Ala., and nearly 105 miles south of Birmingham, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, 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,” said 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, but he warned about the possibility for flooding in the days ahead. “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 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.

Pensacola 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, and insulation from the building was spread across a parking lot.

Parts of southern Alabama 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.

Fewer than 900,000 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. Friday but was able to rely on a generator. Standing water 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.

Bates, Megnien and Seewer write for the Associated Press. Megnien reported from Panama City, Fla., and Seewer from Toledo, Ohio. The following AP writers contributed to this report: Hallie Golden in Seattle, Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola; Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn.; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, S.D.; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Ala.; and Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Ark.

Isaias makes landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane Oct. 9, 2026 Hurricane Isaias is expected to strengthen as it barrels toward the U.S. Gulf Coast Oct. 8, 2026 Show Comments World & NationClimate & Environment The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.

More From the Los Angeles Times Voices Commentary: Public executions are the work of tyrants. Now, the U.S. is joining in Oct. 10, 2026 World & Nation

What Kind of Governor Does California Want? In our first episode, the L.A. Times columnist George Skelton sizes up the governors he’s known, what made them successful and whether the next one can measure up.

The Trial of Errol Flynn On screen, Errol Flynn played a series of daredevils, fortune hunters, and suave romantics. Off screen, he lived a life of outsize debauchery and recklessness, including a persistent interest in underage girls. In 1943, at the height of his fame, he faced trial in Los Angeles on charges of statutory rape.

Boiling Point Live at Climate Week NYC How do you get more people to care about climate change — and tell riveting stories along the way? Boiling Point explored that question at a live event during this year’s New York City Climate Week at Columbia University’s Climate School.

Most Read in World & Nation Voices Commentary: To Trump, the Cornell Seven are victims. It’s a familiar refrain for him Oct. 8, 2026 World & Nation