Thousands of people have been evacuated as Hurricane Isaias swept into Florida’s western Panhandle, threatening coastal communities with destructive winds, heavy rainfall and potentially deadly storm surges.
The hurricane made landfall on Friday evening with sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (175 kilometres per hour), weakening slightly to Category 2 strength before reaching the US Gulf Coast.
Authorities in Florida, Alabama and Georgia declared states of emergency as meteorologists warned that storm surges could push water levels up to nine feet (2.7 metres) above normal in some locations.
Florida and Alabama issued mandatory evacuation orders for vulnerable areas, with officials urging residents and visitors to comply before conditions became more dangerous.
Florida Senator Rick Scott called on people in designated evacuation zones to leave immediately, warning that waiting could put lives at risk.
In Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey ordered non-residents, tourists and visitors to evacuate selected counties expected to be severely affected by the storm.
The National Hurricane Center warned that Isaias could produce life-threatening storm surges along the Gulf Coast, while the National Weather Service forecast that the storm would move across Alabama towards the Tennessee Valley over the weekend.
The hurricane’s impact was expected to extend well beyond the coastline. By Friday evening, hurricane-force winds reached up to 35 miles (55 kilometres) from its centre, while tropical storm-force winds extended as far as 205 miles (335 kilometres).
Forecasters also warned of possible tornadoes, urging residents who remained in affected areas to monitor official weather alerts and prepare to move to higher ground if flooding threatened their communities.
Authorities further cautioned residents against venturing outside to photograph damage or share videos on social media while the hurricane was passing.
Power outages were reported across the southeastern United States even before the hurricane reached land.
Figures from PowerOutage.us showed that more than 350,000 customers in Florida had lost electricity, alongside approximately 170,000 in Alabama. Georgia had recorded about 8,000 outages by Friday evening.
Communities along Florida’s Panhandle were placed under extreme wind warnings, with officials directing residents to seek immediate shelter.
Isaias was also one of three weather systems affecting North America during the weekend, as other storms struck Mexico and Southern California.
The hurricane’s arrival came amid a delayed Atlantic hurricane season, with meteorologists pointing to broader weather conditions, including the influence of El Niño, in discussions about storm activity.
Officials continued to urge residents to follow evacuation instructions, remain sheltered during the storm and rely on official warnings as dangerous weather conditions moved across the region.
