Isaias Outages: 726K+ Without Power on Gulf Coast

Hurricane Isaias knocked out power to more than 726,000 customers in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle early Saturday. The Category 2 storm made landfall Friday near Destin, Florida, unleashing winds that lashed the Gulf shoreline, felled trees and flooded roads.

Pensacola police advised residents to stay off streets littered with debris. Social media reports showed downed trees, power lines and a damaged inn roof. Emergency response efforts in some Panhandle counties halted Friday night due to hazardous weather.

Southern Alabama also experienced flooding. Mobile officials reported downed trees and power lines, while Houston County closed roads because of similar conditions.

Tim Mowry, a Pensacola resident, said the wind sounded like a train whistle. He lost power around 4:30 p.m. Friday. Although Mowry used a generator, his backyard flooded and parts of his fence ripped away. His son, 15 minutes away, could not reach his home due to blocked roads.

Isaias, despite weakening, was forecast to bring 4 to 8 inches of rain or more through the weekend to southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, Big Bend and southwest Georgia. Forecasters also warned of potential tornadoes across parts of the Florida Panhandle, Georgia and the Carolinas.

The storm grounded most flights Friday at several Panhandle airports, including Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, disrupting travel plans.