Hurricane Isaias slammed into the U.S. Gulf Coast on Friday, a dangerous Category 2 storm, hitting communities in Alabama and Florida with devastating winds, heavy rain, flooding and life-threatening storm surges.
The first hurricane of the Atlantic season made landfall near Destin, Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. There were maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (169 km/h). The storm weakened to just below major hurricane status before making landfall.
“The storm is here. Buckle up at this point. Don’t go out on the roads,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference, adding that flash flooding would pose a risk “across the region.”
In Pensacola, about 50 miles west of Destin, an Agence France-Presse reporter witnessed howling winds ripping roofs off some homes and businesses, snapping tree branches during power outages.
“Things are flying really fast, and I’ve never seen wind that fast before, so it’s intense, it’s scary,” Jonathan Ramos, a 40-year-old government worker, said from his hotel in Pensacola, where the power was out.
“I don’t recommend people come here to have fun.”
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House Friday evening, “We are monitoring the hurricane very closely,” adding that it was “under control.”
Forecasters expected Isaias to weaken from its peak Friday, considered a major Category 3 hurricane, due to changes in wind speeds.
But even though it’s a weaker storm system, the NHC warned of a “life-threatening storm surge affecting the Gulf Coast, as dangerous hurricane conditions and flash flooding spread inland.” The hurricane is expected to cross Alabama and enter the Tennessee Valley this weekend, the agency added.
Warnings included a storm surge of up to 7 feet along the Alabama-Florida line and powerful wind gusts reaching parts of northern Georgia.
In the Florida Panhandle, the first impacts of Isaias also appeared. At Panama City Beach, Noaa officials observed a water level 5.4 feet (1.64 meters) above average. About 125 miles to the west, at Pensacola City Hall, a wind gust of up to 100 mph was recorded.
Powerful wind gusts and heavy rain appeared on the canopy of a Crestview gas station Friday evening, according to video captured by meteorologist Nick Stewart. The tattered blanket was hanging from the top of a gas station.
“The storm is here. Buckle up at this point. Don’t go out on the roads,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference, adding that flash flooding would pose a danger “across the region.”
The governors of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida all declared states of emergency ahead of the storm’s arrival, calling on some residents in coastal communities to evacuate and many others to prepare for the storm’s likely and violent arrival.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey announced shortly before the hurricane made landfall that Donald Trump had approved the emergency declaration for her state. “This will allow our federal partners to facilitate any response,” Ivey said.
The National Weather Service’s mobile office warned that parts of Florida could experience “extremely dangerous” tornado-type winds.
As of Friday evening, nearly 500,000 customers had lost power in Alabama and Florida, according to PowerOutage.com.
“Things are going to get really, really dangerous,” Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, told the AP.
The Florida National Guard deployed about 5,000 troops and airmen to help with the response, the AP reported. Some prisons were also evacuating their incarcerated populations. Most flights were grounded at several airports in the Florida Panhandle.
The State Guard deployed about 400 troops to assess hurricane damage and help clear the road, among other tasks.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission prepared 10 airboats, 18 shallow-draft boats, nine ATVs and six larger platform vessels in case of damage or flooding.
Uber also partnered with the state to offer free round trips, up to $40 per ride, to and from state-approved evacuation shelters.
Isaias is notable as one of the last two Atlantic hurricanes to form, tying a record set on October 8, 1905. None of the eight previously named storms of the 2026 Atlantic season intensified above tropical storm status.
Ahead of the storm, oil and gas producers shut down a significant portion of offshore production in the Gulf, which accounts for nearly 15% of the crude pumped into the United States each year.
In a sign of the severity of the warnings, dozens of Waffle Houses in the Florida Panhandle have been closed, according to the company’s website. The beloved Southern breakfast chain is known for staying open despite inclement weather and is often an indicator of the severity of a storm.
Kelsei Frazier, a Florida native living in Pace and no stranger to hurricanes, knows all about the Waffle House clue.
“We joke because if Waffle House is still open, then you know it’s not a bad hurricane, but every Waffle House that I know of within at least a normal distance from us is closed,” Frazier said. “Which is a big deal.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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