Hurricane Isaias has battered the US Gulf Coast, leaving more than 860,000 people without electricity. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

Storm impact

Hurricane Isaias wreaked havoc on the US Gulf Coast, with Alabama and the Florida Panhandle being hit the hardest by the storm. The category 2 hurricane made landfall near Destin, Florida, late Friday, with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. It weakened to a post-tropical cyclone by early morning, with winds of 65 mph, the National Weather Service said.

More than 750,000 people in Florida and Alabama have been left without power, according to poweroutage.us, with outages also reported in Georgia for tens of thousands of customers.

Eyewitness accounts

“Things are flying really fast, and I’ve never seen wind this fast before, so it’s intense, it’s scary,” Jonathan Ramos, a 40-year-old government employee, said from his hotel in Pensacola, Florida, where the power went out. “I don’t recommend people coming down here for fun to do this,” he added.

Weakening storm

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory that the storm is expected to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley later today and Sunday.

“Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Slow weakening is forecast today, and Isaias is forecast to dissipate on Sunday,” the center said.

The NHC warned heavy rainfall across the south-east increases the risk of flash flooding, with southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and south-western Georgia expected to be among the hardest-hit areas, while landslides are also possible in the Southern Appalachians.

Power outages

Isaias has left more than 860,000 people without electricity as it moves inland across the south-east. Here’s the latest breakdown of the worst affected states, according to poweroutage.us.

People look at wind, rain, and flying debris from a hotel lobby in Pensacola, Florida, during a power outage ahead of the arrival of hurricane Isaias.

Storm formation

Isaias intensified into a hurricane on Wednesday night, then becoming the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season.

In the days prior to landfall, storm surge warnings were in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River in Florida. Residents in the affected areas were urged to follow advice from local officials and evacuate if instructed to do so.

Stick with us as we bring you the latest news and updates from hurricane Isaias.