Isaias weakens after causing flooding and power outages in Pensacola

A post-tropical cyclone swept inland across Alabama on Saturday, bringing flash floods and outages to Pensacola. Dangerous conditions persisted across the Gulf shoreline as emergency crews evaluated widespread damage. The storm previously made landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane. Wind speeds later dropped sharply to 35 mph.

The extent of the damage was not immediately known. Pensacola police told residents to stay off streets because of road debris. Social media footage showed wind tearing the roof from a Pensacola inn.

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said on his Facebook page that the local airport took damage. Reeves said power was out downtown, with trees and power lines down in several spots. Winds blew the roof off a hotel. Some Panhandle counties temporarily suspended emergency response Friday night.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned residents during a Friday news conference.

“The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don’t be getting out on the roads,” DeSantis said.

Flooding also hit Destin roadways and southern Alabama. Officials in Mobile reported downed trees and wires. Houston County authorities closed roads because of blocked travel lanes.

Early Saturday, more than 915,000 customers in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia lacked electricity, according to poweroutage.com. Isaias was located about 25 miles south-southwest of Montgomery and 105 miles south of Birmingham, the NHC said Saturday.

All tropical storm and storm surge warnings were discontinued. Forecasters warned that tornadoes remained possible in Georgia, the Carolinas, and the Florida Panhandle. Life-threatening storm surges still threatened parts of the coast.

Rainfall could reach 4 to 8 inches across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and the Big Bend. The storm was expected to move into the Tennessee Valley during the weekend. It is projected to track toward the Midwest and Northeast on Monday.

The system was the first hurricane to strike the eastern United States since Milton in 2024. Most Friday flights stopped at several panhandle airports, including Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump canceled plans to attend a Tuscaloosa football game between Georgia and Alabama to avoid disrupting responses.

Pensacola resident Tim Mowry said the storm sounded like a train whistle through his patio door crack. He lost power at 4:30 p.m. but ran a generator. Mowry said standing water covered his yard, and strong gusts knocked down parts of his fence.

“As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate,” Mowry said.

His son tried driving over after losing electricity. He turned around because downed trees and lines blocked roads. Damage cleared slowly.

In the Pacific, Simon strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane near Mexico. Tropical Storm Rachel also threatened northern Mexico and Southern California with heavy rain.

Emergency management agencies monitor severe weather to dispatch public utility crews and road clearers. Local governments open emergency shelters and assess regional structural destruction following major storms. Power companies deploy repair workers once dangerous wind conditions subside.

Residents across Pensacola continued cleaning up debris through Saturday afternoon.