Isaias makes landfall and leaves hundreds of thousands without power
The hurricane came ashore near Destin in Florida on Friday evening as a Category 2 storm, then weakened rapidly.
Follow-up to: Isaias reaches Florida as major hurricane Friday, 9 October 2026, 22:45
Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin in Florida on Friday evening, with wind speeds of up to approximately 169 kilometres per hour. Parts of Florida and Alabama experienced flooding, storm surge and power cuts.
The US National Hurricane Center confirmed that Isaias made landfall near Destin. Associated Press reported that the storm had reached Category 2 at that point, with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. This made Isaias the first hurricane of the Atlantic season to hit the US coast.
After making landfall, the storm moved northwards across Alabama and wind speeds quickly fell. That did not mean the danger had immediately passed. Along parts of the Florida Panhandle, the risk of life-threatening storm surge remained, while heavy rainfall in the south-east of the United States could cause flooding.
Roads were flooded in Destin. In Pensacola, police warned residents not to take to the roads because of fallen trees and other obstacles. According to AP, more than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without power on Saturday morning. The scale of the total damage had not yet been established at that point.
Meteorologists also warned of possible tornadoes in parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Such secondary effects can occur in the broad rain bands around a tropical cyclone, even when the storm’s core has already weakened. The warnings were therefore not limited to the area around the landfall site.
Isaias may also affect energy supplies. The US Gulf Coast is home to refineries, storage terminals and offshore facilities that are temporarily shut down in strong winds. This can affect fuel prices, but the effect depends on the duration of the disruptions and the damage to infrastructure.
The storm is not evidence that one individual hurricane was caused by climate change. Climate researchers do expect a warmer ocean to create more favourable conditions for the intensification of tropical cyclones and for extreme rainfall events to increase. Long-term measurements and models are needed for that broader conclusion; the current warnings are based on observations and weather forecasts.
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The article’s meteorological core can be traced directly to the National Hurricane Center and AP. The broader climate context is cautiously worded and distinguishes between the current storm and long-term research.
- confirmed Isaias made landfall near Destin in Florida. — This is stated in the NHC update and AP reporting. source
- confirmed The storm was Category 2 at landfall, with wind speeds of 105 miles per hour. — AP reports these figures. source
- confirmed More than 726,000 customers were without power on Saturday morning. — AP refers to PowerOutage.us for this figure. source
- confirmed One individual hurricane cannot be regarded as evidence of climate change. — This is a methodological interpretation, not a claim about a specific event. source
Editor's note
Landfall, storm category and power cuts are based on NOAA and AP. The total damage and any long-term effects were not yet known.Sources
- Hundreds of thousands without power after Isaias slams the Florida Panhandle and Alabama — Associated Press
- Isaias makes landfall near Destin, Florida — National Hurricane Center
The story so far
- Friday, 9 October 2026, 20:44 Hurricane Isaias halts part of US oil production
- Friday, 9 October 2026, 22:45 Isaias reaches Florida as major hurricane
- Saturday, 10 October 2026, 10:45 Isaias makes landfall and leaves hundreds of thousands without power (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „orkaan isaias”
- De Telegraaf — „orkaan isaias”
- Trouw — „orkaan isaias”