Hurricane Isaias has made its presence felt near Destin, Florida, registering maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
Hurricane Isaias has made landfall near Destin, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Reuters reported on Friday. The storm is located about 50 miles (80 km) west-northwest of Panama City, Florida, the agency said in its latest advisory. Earlier forecasts warned that water levels could rise by 6 to 9 feet in vulnerable coastal areas. More than 365,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without electricity on Friday evening, according to poweroutage.com. The state’s National Guard deployed around 5,000 soldiers and airmen to support emergency operations, while search-and-rescue teams were placed on standby.
Officials in Mobile reported fallen trees and power lines, while the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority issued a boil-water notice for some customers in Florida.
“Things are going to get really, really treacherous over the next couple hours,” Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, said earlier, according to the Associated Press (AP). Anne Petzold, a resident of Gulf Breeze, said she and her husband had installed hurricane shutters and cleared their yard of objects that could become dangerous in high winds. All good,” she said. “It’s just another adventure.”
The landfall comes as coastal communities across Florida’s Panhandle and parts of Alabama prepare for damaging winds, flooding and a potentially life-threatening storm surge. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents to prepare for power outages, fuel shortages and the possible closure of bridges and highways. Some prisons also evacuated inmates. Residents have been securing their homes and filling sandbags to limit potential flood damage. In Panama City, people braved heavy rain to protect their properties ahead of the storm. “Everybody does what they can do, everybody asks if they need help — they ask for help, they offer help.
Earlier reporting noted: The storm also threatened to bring a life-threatening storm surge of 5 to 9 feet in some coastal locations, along with heavy rainfall and possible flooding. Authorities have issued hurricane warnings from Ocean Springs in Mississippi to the western Florida Panhandle, while several counties have ordered mandatory evacuations. Mobile, Alabama, has also imposed a curfew as officials prepare for the storm’s impact. Officials urged residents to take shelter immediately, warning that hurricane-force winds were imminent in affected areas. Tornadoes were another concern as Isaias moved inland. The NHC continued issuing updates as Isaias approached the coast, with the storm expected to weaken after landfall but still bring dangerous weather inland.
Earlier reporting noted: The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Wind Warning for parts of the Florida Panhandle. Earlier reporting noted: Residents were advised to stay inside a secure shelter, keep away from windows and monitor official weather alerts.
The NHC has forecast 4 to 8 inches of rainfall, with localised totals potentially reaching 15 inches in parts of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southwestern Georgia. The storm is expected to weaken as it moves inland, but flooding and hazardous weather could continue across parts of the southeastern US. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.