Isaias Weakens Inland After Category 2 Landfall Near Destin

Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin, Florida, Friday night as a Category 2 storm. It brought storm surge, damaging winds and more than a foot of rain to parts of the Florida Panhandle. The storm has since weakened over Alabama, but flooding rain and gusty winds are spreading across the Southeast this weekend.

Panhandle Hit by Surge, Wind and Widespread Outages

Isaias made landfall near Destin around 8:30 p.m. CDT Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). It had briefly reached Category 3 strength over the Gulf earlier Friday before weakening slightly ahead of landfall. Isaias was the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season.

A NOAA tide gauge in Panama City Beach measured water 5.6 feet above normal high tide. A weather station near Santa Rosa Sound recorded a 116 mph gust, and Pensacola City Hall reported a 102 mph gust.

The wind tore part of the roof off a Pensacola inn and left downed trees and power lines across the city, prompting police to warn residents to stay off debris-covered streets. In Destin, surge ripped away part of the beach boardwalk and flooded roads. Downed trees and power lines were also reported in Mobile.

Conditions were dangerous enough Friday night that some Panhandle counties, including Bay County, temporarily limited or suspended emergency response. Flights were grounded at several Panhandle airports, including all flights at Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.

Some residents said the impact was less severe than they feared. Pensacola resident Tim Mowry lost power and saw his yard flood and part of his fence torn down, but told The Associated Press that Pensacola “really got fortunate.”

More than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were still without power early Saturday, according to The Associated Press. Alabama Power is bringing in more than 5,000 additional crews from nearly 25 states to help restore service.

Flash Flooding Spreads Inland

Rain was the bigger story for some communities. DeFuniak Springs, Florida, picked up more than 12 inches. A Flash Flood Emergency was issued for Okaloosa County Friday night as rain fell at rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour. Flooding and debris also closed roads in southeast Alabama overnight.

Isaias became a post-tropical cyclone early Saturday. As of 4 a.m. CDT, its center was about 25 miles south-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, moving north at 14 mph. The NHC issued its final advisory on the storm, and the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has taken over tracking. Storm surge and tropical storm alerts along the coast have been discontinued.

The NHC expects 2 to 5 inches of rain across much of the Southeast through the weekend, with up to 10 inches in some spots in the Southern Appalachians and coastal Carolinas. Forecasters warned of considerable flash flooding and landslides in the mountains. A tornado threat also extends Saturday across eastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas.

Wind advisories remain in effect in parts of the region, with gusts up to 50 mph possible through Sunday morning.

What’s Next

The remnants of Isaias are forecast to move through the Tennessee Valley and turn northeast over the Ohio Valley on Sunday, bringing rain to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday. No new tropical development is expected in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf over the next seven days.

Recovery has begun in parts of the Panhandle. Escambia County Emergency Management asked residents to sort storm debris into separate piles and not to burn it unless authorized. The American Red Cross has deployed more than 140 volunteers along the Gulf Coast and has shelters open for those who need them.

For those returning home along the coast, avoid floodwaters and downed power lines and run generators outdoors only. Your hurricane safety plan should cover what to do after the storm, not just before it. Check updates from the National Weather Service office in Mobile or your local NWS office for flood warnings in your area.

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