Hurricane Isaias Hits Florida with Strong Winds and Rain
Hurricane Isaias made its presence felt in Florida on Friday night, bringing fierce winds and heavy rain. Reports indicated gusts reached as high as 96 mph in Pensacola Bay.
Footage shared by FOX Weather showcased senior correspondent Robert Ray reporting from Destin, where the tumultuous winds were clearly impacting the area. The report emphasized, “Hurricane-force winds are hammering Destin, Florida,” as Ray braved the conditions just before the storm was set to make landfall.
The storm had reached Category 3 status earlier in the day but was later downgraded to a Category 2 by the National Hurricane Center, with sustained winds of around 110 mph by the 8 p.m. advisory.
Subsequent coverage suggested that Isaias was making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast, but a specific time and location for the storm’s center crossing was not confirmed.
Destin and nearby Fort Walton Beach found themselves under a flash flood emergency that night, with heavy rainfall raising the risk of severe flooding. FOX Weather reported the wind gust of 96 mph in Pensacola Bay, along with a gust of 72 mph recorded in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Water levels were on the rise around Panama City and Apalachicola, and forecasters warned of potential storm surges that could lead to nine feet of inundation along sections of the coast from the Alabama-Florida border to Grayton Beach.
By Friday evening, over 365,000 customers across Florida and Alabama were without power, according to reports from the Associated Press. In Mobile, there were reports of downed trees and power lines, and Florida’s Emerald Coast Utilities Authority had to issue a boil-water notice for its customers.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had previously advised residents to brace for possible power outages and hazardous weather, even outside the hurricane’s direct path, stating, “We prepared for the worst.”
Evacuation orders were put in place in parts of Okaloosa, Escambia, and Walton counties in Florida, as well as Dauphin Island in Alabama. DeSantis, along with Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, declared states of emergency in anticipation of the storm.
Forecasters projected that the effects of the hurricane would extend inland through the weekend, predicting rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches across southern Alabama, northwestern Florida, Florida’s Big Bend, and southwest Georgia, with some isolated areas possibly reaching 15 inches.
The threat of tornadoes was expected to spread into Georgia and the Carolinas on Saturday. Forecasters cautioned that the most intense conditions would occur near and to the east of the storm’s center. Air travel disruptions were widespread in northwestern Florida, leading to cancellations.
Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport saw all of its Friday flights canceled, with Pensacola International Airport experiencing 74 cancellations and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport reporting 47 canceled flights, according to FlightAware figures.
