Hurricane 'Isaias' Hits Florida... Warnings of Floods, Rough Waves, and Power Outages for Hundreds of Thousands

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening high waves and flooding after Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, despite weakening to a Category 1 storm.

In its latest advisory, the center said the hurricane was located about 105 kilometers west-northwest of Panama City, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour.

It added that the storm is expected to pass through Alabama and Tennessee early in the week, noting that dangerous weather conditions will persist and flash flooding is possible in inland areas.

Data from PowerOutage.US showed that approximately 380,000 people in Florida and more than 210,000 in Alabama lost power as the hurricane reached the coast.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Marco Rubio announced on the X platform that emergency declarations had been approved for Florida and Alabama, ensuring the provision of necessary federal resources to respond to Hurricane Isaias.

Isaias is the first hurricane to form in the Atlantic basin in nearly a year; the last was Hurricane Melissa, which formed on October 25, 2025.