Hurricane Isaias path and tracker: After landfall, storm moves over Florida Panhandle
The Gulf Coast is bracing for extreme winds, storm surge and flooding.
Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday night as a dangerous Category 2 storm in Florida's Panhandle.
The storm, with winds up to 105 mph, made landfall near Destin, Florida, at about 8:30 p.m. CT, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm continued its march north over the western Florida Panhandle on Friday night, although it weakened to a Category 1 storm with maximum winds at 90 mph, the NWS said. On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center declared Isaias a post-tropical cyclone -- a system that no longer possesses characteristics of a tropical system.
Ahead of the landfall, water levels were rising rapidly along the coast as dangerous hurricane conditions and life-threatening flash flooding spread inland.
Extreme wind warnings and a flash flood emergency continued.
Rain reached the Florida Panhandle early Friday followed by hurricane-force winds in the afternoon.
Power outages are expected to last for an extended period, particularly in the Florida Panhandle.
The last hurricane to make landfall in the United States was Milton, which came ashore south of Tampa near Siesta Key, Florida, on Oct. 9, 2024 -- exactly two years ago from Friday. In 2025, the U.S. went through its first year in a decade without a hurricane making landfall.
A tornado watch was also issued early Friday afternoon for parts of the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia and Alabama, including Pensacola, Tallahassee and Panama City, through 9 p.m. Friday.
Storm surge of 5 to 7 feet is also possible from Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores, Alabama, to Pensacola, Miramar Beach, Laguna Beach, Panama City, Destin, Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe, Florida.
The storm surge forecast from the Santa Rosa/Okaloosa County Line, Florida, to Grayton Beach, Florida, increased to 9 feet Friday morning.
A storm surge of 4 to 6 feet is possible in Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where the rising water could be accompanied by waves reaching up to 30 feet in some places.
Evacuation orders are in place for many low-lying and coastal areas in Florida.
Evacuations are particularly important in areas at risk of storm surge, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference Friday morning.
"The surge is really what puts people's lives in jeopardy if they haven't heeded evacuation orders," DeSantis said. "We always say: You hide from the wind, but you run from the water."
Hurricane-force winds are expected to occur along Isaias's track up to 100 miles inland from the coast. Wind gusts are possible up to 120 mph.
The storm fluctuated in strength throughout Friday afternoon as it approached the coast but weakened after landfall.
Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 15 inches, are possible across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend region of Florida.
The coastal Carolinas and southern Appalachians could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain, with isolated amounts reaching 10 inches and the rest of the Southeast is expected to see widespread rainfall of 1 to 3 inches, with some localized areas receiving up to 5 inches.
Flash and urban flooding are likely across the region, with considerable impacts possible across much of southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia. River flooding is also expected, and some areas could experience significant flooding.
DeSantis said Floridians should assume they will lose power and prepare accordingly, including ensuring adequate food, water, gas and medications for a 72-hour duration.
The Florida National Guard, Florida Department of Health, Florida Department of Transportation and other emergency response teams have mobilized in preparation for power outages, rescues and evacuations.
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