Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on the night of October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 storm, before rapidly weakening to a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama. The storm cut power to several hundred thousand customers across Florida, Alabama and Georgia and has been linked to at least two deaths from falling trees, according to the National Hurricane Center and CBS News.
Hurricane Isaias struck the northern Gulf Coast of the United States on the evening of Friday, October 9, 2026, making landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) and CBS News. By Saturday morning the system had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone as it moved inland over Alabama.
Landfall and wind speeds
CBS News reported that Isaias came ashore near Destin at around 8 p.m. Eastern Time with maximum sustained winds near 90 mph, quickly weakening from Category 2 toward Category 1 strength. AccuWeather, cited by CBS News, recorded a peak wind gust of 112 mph at Santa Rosa Sound, Florida. French outlet Orange.fr reported sustained winds of 165 km/h (about 103 mph) at the storm's peak, attributing the figure to the storm's Category 2 classification before its downgrade.
The NHC's Advisory Number 16, issued at 10 a.m. CDT on Saturday, October 10, placed the post-tropical cyclone about 50 miles south of Birmingham, Alabama, at coordinates 32.8°N, 86.8°W. Maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 mph, with a central pressure of 1006 millibars. The agency said the system was moving north-northwest at 10 mph and forecast a turn toward the north-northeast before dissipating on Sunday, October 11.
Deaths and damage
CBS News reported at least two confirmed deaths linked to the storm: one in Escambia County, Florida, and one in the Huffman area of Birmingham, Alabama, both caused by falling trees striking homes. Orange.fr reported the same two fatalities, in Escambia County, Florida, and in Jefferson County, Alabama, where Birmingham is located.
Storm surge warnings projected up to 9 feet of surge from the Alabama-Florida border to Grayton Beach, Florida, with up to 6 feet of surge possible elsewhere along the Florida Panhandle, according to CBS News.
Power outages and emergency declarations
CBS News reported more than 697,000 customers without power in one report on Saturday morning; a separate CBS live-updates report put the total above 884,000, listing Florida at 436,443 customers, Alabama at 314,540 and Georgia at 83,078. Orange.fr cited a total of over 800,000 customers, with about 440,000 in Florida and more than 265,000 in Alabama.
According to CBS News, Florida's governor declared a state of emergency covering more than two dozen counties, Alabama's governor issued declarations for 40 counties, and Georgia's governor also declared an emergency. Federal emergency declarations were approved for Florida and Alabama, CBS News reported.
Rainfall and ongoing flood risk
The NHC advisory warned of 3 to 6 inches of rain across the Southern Appalachians, with isolated totals up to 10 inches, raising flash-flood risk as the system moves into the Tennessee Valley. CBS News reported forecasts of 4 to 8 inches of rain, with isolated totals up to 15 inches, across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, the Big Bend region and southwestern Georgia, and 2 to 10 inches across the rest of the Southeast, including Georgia and the Carolinas. The NHC also flagged the possibility of a couple of tornadoes in eastern Georgia and the Carolinas as the storm's outer bands moved through.
We could see some areas of significant flash flooding.
— Robbie Berg, National Hurricane Center warning coordination meteorologist, quoted by CBS News
Background: a record-late first hurricane
CBS News reported that Isaias was the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, forming unusually late in the year. The outlet said this set a new record for the latest first hurricane of an Atlantic season in 121 years, surpassing the previous latest-start record of October 8, 1905.
The NHC's forecast track projected Isaias to continue weakening while moving through the Tennessee and Ohio valleys over the following days, with the agency expecting the system to dissipate as a tropical entity by Sunday, October 11.
Questions
Where did Hurricane Isaias make landfall?
According to CBS News and the National Hurricane Center, Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on the night of Friday, October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane.
How many people have died because of Hurricane Isaias?
CBS News reported at least two deaths, in Escambia County, Florida, and the Huffman area of Birmingham, Alabama, both from falling trees; Orange.fr reported the same two fatalities, citing Escambia County and Jefferson County, Alabama.
How many people lost power?
CBS News gave different totals in separate reports on Saturday morning: one put the figure at more than 697,000 customers, another at more than 884,000, with Florida at 436,443, Alabama at 314,540 and Georgia at 83,078. Orange.fr cited a figure of over 800,000 customers, with about 440,000 in Florida and more than 265,000 in Alabama.
What is Isaias's status now?
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Isaias to a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday, October 10, with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, and forecast the system to dissipate by Sunday while still bringing heavy rain to the Tennessee and Ohio valleys.
Which states declared emergencies?
According to CBS News, the governors of Florida, Alabama and Georgia all issued state emergency declarations, and federal emergency declarations were approved for Florida and Alabama.
How the world is telling it
FrenchFrench outlet Orange.fr framed Isaias primarily through its downgrade to a post-tropical cyclone, emphasizing the storm's weakening trajectory and citing a total power-outage figure of over 800,000 customers, while reporting the same two confirmed deaths in Florida and Alabama as CBS News.
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
Monsoons are seasonal wind reversals, driven by uneven heating of land and ocean, that bring months of rain to tropical regions. India's weather office said on October 12, 2026, that the northeast monsoon was likely to reach the southern peninsula, including Kerala, within two to three days, with isolated heavy rain forecast for October 15–18.
El Niño is a natural warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific that releases ocean heat into the atmosphere, and the 2026 event has already pushed sea surface temperatures to record levels. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says it is forecast to peak in December 2026 and persist through February 2027, with scientists warning the heat could push 2027 close to historic highs.
South India's main rainy season, the Northeast Monsoon, is expected to reach Tamil Nadu between October 15 and 21, 2026, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. Estimates of how much of the state's annual rainfall it supplies vary by source — around 48% for Tamil Nadu overall (Ekam IAS Academy) or about 50% for southern districts specifically (Mongabay India) — spread over roughly 50 days. This year's season is forecast to be normal overall, with wetter coasts and a drier northern interior.
Growing your own vegetables and herbs starts with six basic steps the USDA outlines: planning, choosing a site, preparing soil, planting, maintenance and harvest. Compost, efficient watering and mixed plantings are the practices most recommended by agricultural and horticultural authorities, though a 2024 study found a garden's own climate benefit depends on how it is built and maintained.
