Hurricane Isaias causes widespread damage and outages along the Gulf Coast

Hurricane Isaias has left at least four dead and roughly 356,000 customers without power across the Gulf Coast as crews begin clearing debris and restoring critical services. The storm, which marked the first Atlantic tropical cyclone of the 2026 season, made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday as a Category 2 hurricane.

The system tracked northward into Alabama on Saturday before weakening into a post-tropical cyclone near the Appalachians. The National Weather Service reported maximum sustained winds of 160 km/h (100 mph) and a minimum central pressure of 28.88 inches. At its peak, the weather system knocked electricity out of nearly 800,000 homes and businesses across the region.

Heavy winds tore roofs from buildings and flattened coastal structures. Pensacola International airport, Florida’s 10th-largest airfield, shut down indefinitely because of severe damage. Emergency crews are also assessing widespread structural failures in the Florida Panhandle and along the coast.

Local officials issued strict warnings for remaining hazards. Pensacola Mayor DC Reeves warned of critical drinking water shortages and advised residents to boil tap water before use. “We are winding down day three of storm response and recovery operations, and we remain focused on public safety, clearing debris, and restoring critical infrastructure and services,” Reeves said. Travel remains dangerous in Houston County, Alabama, where fallen trees and downed lines blocked routes under an emergency flash flood warning. “Due to the impacts of Hurricane Isaias, all Houston County roads are closed until further notice,” the county agency posted on X.

Utility workers from Florida and more than two dozen other states have arrived to repair the power grid. As of midafternoon Sunday, roughly 356,000 customers in southern Alabama and northwestern Florida still lacked electricity. Volunteer groups and local governments are coordinating aid distribution to residents facing the immediate struggle for basic necessities.