re: Isaias - Clean Up and Recovery Begins

quote:

---

POST TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT
Storm Name Isaias
NWS Office Mobile/Pensacola
Begin/End Date 10/09/2026 - 10/10/2026
Fatalities 1 - Direct 2 - Indirect
Tornadoes TBD

Event Summary

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 PM CDT on Friday, October 9, 2026, as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Destructive hurricane-force winds impacted portions of the western Florida Panhandle and south-central Alabama. An Extreme Wind Warning was issued as the eyewall moved ashore.

Peak observed wind gusts reached 118 mph at Jay, 116 mph at Oriole Beach, and 114 mph at Whiting Field South, resulting in significant damage to trees, power lines, and structures, along with widespread power outages.

Storm surge produced inundation and beach erosion, particularly along the Okaloosa County coastline. Peak water levels reached 3.98 feet MHHW at Old Pass Lagoon (FDEP), 3.68 feet at East Pass Destin (FDEP), and 2.73 feet at Pensacola.

Torrential rainfall also resulted in significant flash flooding across portions of the western Florida Panhandle, with widespread totals of 5-8 inches and localized amounts exceeding 11 inches. The highest reported rainfall total was 11.65 inches near Mary Esther, FL.

Preliminary reports indicate one direct fatality and two indirect fatalities across the NWS Mobile/Pensacola forecast area.

Extreme wind and storm surge assessments remain ongoing.

NOTE: It is unlikely that the point-based observations provided in this report sampled the peak values for the event.

---

quote:

---

POST TROPICAL CYCLONE REPORT
Storm Name Hurricane Isaias
NWS Office Tallahassee
Begin/End Date 10/08/2026 - 10/11/2026
Fatalities 0 - Direct 0 - Indirect
Tornadoes TBD

Event Summary

Hurricane Isaias originated from a tropical disturbance in the Bay of Campeche beginning on October 4, 2026. The system organized into Tropical Storm Isaias the morning of Wednesday October 7th, and steadily intensified as it tracked across the warm waters of the Gulf. Isaias strengthened into a hurricane the morning of Thursday, October 8th, reaching Category 2 intensity prior to making landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 PM CDT on Friday, October 9th with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and an estimated minimum central pressure of 971 mb (28.67 inches). After moving ashore, the center of Isaias tracked northward across southern Alabama, rapidly weakening and transitioning into a post-tropical cyclone Saturday morning, October 10th.

Devastating hurricane-force winds and damaging wind gusts battered coastal and near-coastal sections of the western Florida Panhandle, while tropical-storm-force gusts spread well inland across southeast Alabama, southwest Georgia and the Florida Big Bend. Peak wind gusts across coastal Walton and Bay counties frequently reached hurricane-force, including gusts to 91 mph at Choctaw Beach and 83 mph at Panama City Beach. These winds produced structural and roof damage to homes, condominiums, and commercial structures near the coast, while toppled trees and power lines caused widespread power outages affecting hundreds of thousands of residents across the TriState area.

A life-threatening storm surge led to significant inundation above normally dry ground from rising water moving inland from the shoreline to the east of the landfall location. The NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) tide gauge at Panama City Beach recorded a peak water level of 5.59 feet above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW), with gauges at Apalachicola and Panama City observing 3.58 feet and 3.01 feet MHHW, respectively. The storm surge combined with heavy, battering surf caused severe beach erosion, overwashed coastal roads, and damaged shoreline boardwalks and infrastructure along the Walton, Bay, and western Gulf County coastlines.

Torrential rainfall resulted in widespread urban and flash flooding, especially across the western Florida Panhandle and southeast Alabama due to training rainbands. Rainfall amounts from portions of the Forgotten and Emerald Coasts into the western FL Panhandle and southeast Alabama largely ranged from 4 to 8+ inches, with amounts generally around 4 inches or less across the remainder of the Tri-State area. The excessive runoff quickly inundated secondary roadways and pushed regional creeks and rivers into minor-to-moderate flooding. Maximum storm rainfall totals included 12.97 in Bellwood, Alabama and 12.47 inches in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

There was also a possible brief tornado on Friday, October 9th, in Eastpoint, Florida on SR 65 with tree limbs damaging a couple of homes - More details on this are To Be Determined (TBD).

NOTE: It is unlikely that the point-based observations provided in this report sampled the peak values for the event.

---