Hurricane Isaias downgraded after making landfall in Florida

ByHafsa Khalil, Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu and Nardine Saad. 10 October 2026, 02: 51 BST.

Key points

• On Saturday morning, more than 400, 000 were in the dark in Florida and just over 300, 000 customers in Alabama were experiencing outages, according to PowerOutage.us.
• Hurricane-force winds on Friday evening extended outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from Isaias' centre, and tropical storm-force winds extended as far as 205 miles (335 km).
• Isaias – which is the first of the 2026 Atlantic season – is still surging throughout south-eastern parts of the US.
• On Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin remarked the US president had approved emergency declarations for the two states to "ensure federal resources are available" for backing.
• Ahead of the storm, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) cautioned it was probable to bring "life-threatening storm surge" to the US Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Isaias has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone the day after it created landfall along the northern Gulf Coast of Florida, bringing with it heavy rains and powerful winds.

Hundreds of thousands of households in Florida, Alabama and Georgia are without power, and each state has issued a state of emergency. There are at present no warnings in places after they concluded on Saturday.

Isaias is one of three storm systems affecting North America this weekend, with the two others hitting Mexico and Southern California in the El Niño fuelled warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Both Florida and Alabama instituted mandatory evacuations to thousands of individuals due to the storm.

In Florida, those evacuations included coastal communities in direct aim of the powerful storm. As he cautioned in a social media post: "DO NOT WAIT!, senator Rick Scott encouraged residents in designated areas to evacuate as shortly as feasible. Obtain out NOW!"

Governor of Alabama Kay Ivey issued a mandatory evacuation for all non-residents, tourists and visitors in key counties probable to be heavily affected by the storm.

Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane in the Atlantic's hurricane season. It largely has been delayed due to El Niño conditions in the Pacific.

It marks the first time in more than 30 years that a hurricane did not form before October.

All warnings pertaining to Isaias had been discontinued on Saturday morning, the NHC remarked.

Notably, the post-tropical cyclone is at present moving north and is anticipated to cross Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley afterwards on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands are at present without power in the country's southeast – and Alabama, Florida and Georgia have issued states of emergency as they brace for heavy rains and flooding.

On Saturday morning, more than 400, 000 were in the dark in Florida and just over 300, 000 customers in Alabama were experiencing outages, according to PowerOutage.us. In Georgia, more than 100, 000 customers were without power.

Ahead of the hurricane, Pensacola resident John Guoth, informed the BBC that he and his wife would remain at home despite the rest of his street having already left.

"It's a hurricane, we get them all the time. We kind of knew that when we moved here, " he remarked, explaining that they have "battened down" anything that "can fly".

Guoth remarked he put his ducks and chickens in the bathroom and weighed down his boats and trailers so "nothing flips over".

For context, a few households remained in the area, describing themselves as "long-term locals" who are "going to protect our homes".

Individuals in the Florida city who had "seen bad storms before" were still "bunkering up", Brandin Ruth stated. She informed the BBC: "You don't want to underestimate a storm like this".

One indicator of a storm's severity to southern communities was Friday's closure of stalwart restaurant chain, The Waffle House.

Notably, a Waffle House spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that the chain had already closed a number of locations in the hurricane's path and "will continue monitoring conditions".

US President Donald Trump additionally cancelled aims to attend a major American football college game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama since of the hurricane, shifting aims to attend a rally in Tennessee instead.

Two other storms are additionally forecast to batter North America this weekend.

Hurricane Simon is bearing down on the Pacific coast of Mexico as a category one hurricane. It is due to pick up speed and become category four by Saturday, eventually making landfall near Puerto Vallarta on Sunday, according to Reuters.

Further north, Tropical Storm Rachel, a downgraded hurricane, is heading toward landfall around the US-Mexico border, along the Pacific.

While, Rachel is projected to reach the coast late on Saturday, the impact of the storm is already being felt due to high tides in southern California.

Video footage and photos show a number of streets under water in Newport Beach, California, through a combination of the tropical storm swells at sea and high tide.

Posting on its account on X, the City of Newport Beach advised individuals to "avoid the Balboa Peninsula due to street flooding caused by recent storm conditions and elevated tides".

It additionally called on individuals not to drive through flooded streets. Bulldozers have been shoring up the beach to try and prevent further flooding. With extra reporting by Simon King and Matt Taylor, BBC Weather.

For now, hurricane Isaias downgraded after making landfall in Florida remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.