Updated

Updated · POLITICO · Oct 9

Hurricane Isaias Slams US Gulf Coast, Cutting Power to 400,000 as 9-Foot Surge Threatens

Updated

Updated · POLITICO · Oct 9

Hurricane Isaias Slams US Gulf Coast, Cutting Power to 400,000 as 9-Foot Surge Threatens

Q: Beyond the coastal surge, what devastating inland threats from Hurricane Isaias caught Southeast communities completely off guard?

The biggest inland dangers were not just rain, but flash flooding, tornadoes and damaging winds far from the coast. Forecasters warned that once Isaias moved ashore, it would still drag deep tropical moisture north through Alabama, Georgia and toward Atlanta. Rainfall of 4 to 8 inches was expected across parts of the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southwest Georgia, with isolated totals as high as 12 to 15 inches. That raised the risk of rapid flash flooding, river flooding, blocked roads and, in the southern Appalachians, even landslides. Communities inland also faced a tornado threat that can catch residents off guard in a weakening hurricane. Weather officials warned of spin-up tornadoes in outer rain bands across Alabama, Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and later the Carolinas. Those tornadoes are often brief but dangerous, especially at night. Strong winds were another major inland hazard. Even away from the shoreline, parts of Alabama, Georgia and metro Atlanta were forecast to see tropical-storm-force gusts of 40 to 50 mph, with some higher gusts possible. Officials warned those winds could bring down trees and power lines, trigger widespread outages and make travel hazardous. So while coastal areas braced for surge, inland Southeast communities were confronting a different disaster set: flooding rains, fast-forming tornadoes and damaging wind impacts spreading well beyond the landfall zone.

3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 9

More than 400,000 customers in Florida and Alabama lost power Friday evening after Isaias made landfall on the US Gulf Coast as a Category 2 hurricane.
Forecasters warned the storm could drive a 6-to-9-foot surge, damaging winds, flooding and possible tornadoes before weakening inland while still spreading heavy rain and strong winds toward Atlanta.
Mobile, Alabama, reported downed trees and power lines, and Emerald Coast Utilities Authority issued a boil-water notice for customers in parts of Florida.
A hurricane warning stretched from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the western Florida Panhandle, with several counties ordering mandatory evacuations and Mobile imposing an overnight curfew.
Residents in places including Panama City and Gulf Breeze filled sandbags, installed shutters and largely prepared to ride out the storm at home.