Hundreds of thousands without power after Isaias slams the Florida Panhandle and Alabama

More than 664,000 customers in Florida and Alabama have been left without power as Isaias downs trees, power lines. Gulf Coast, leaving hundreds of thousands without power in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were without power early Saturday after Isaias crashed into the U.S.

Gulf Coast as a dangerous hurricane and left flooded roads and downed trees in its wake as it moved inland. The storm made landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane, then quickly moved north through Alabama as its wind speeds dropped sharply. But the possibility of life-threatening storm surges still loomed for parts of the Florida Panhandle, along with heavy rain and potential flooding for much of the Southeast over the weekend.

Forecasters also warned that conditions could stir up tornadoes across parts of the Florida Panhandle and into Georgia and the Carolinas. Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. Hurricane-force winds lashed the Gulf shoreline in the low-lying coastal area known for powdery white-sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars, and seafood shacks.

Don’t be getting out on the roads,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Friday. Roads in Destin were flooded, while in nearby Pensacola, police warned residents to stay off the streets because of debris across roadways.

While the extent of the damage was not immediately known, many area residents posted pictures online of downed trees and power lines, and one social media video showed a roof being ripped off an inn in Pensacola. Some Panhandle counties temporarily suspended emergency response Friday night because of dangerous conditions. Parts of southern Alabama also were flooded, with officials in Mobile reporting downed trees and power lines.

Roads in Houston County, which is in the southeastern corner of the state, were closed because of similar conditions. More than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without power early Saturday, according to poweroutage.com. Tim Mowry, who rode out the storm from his home in Pensacola, said the wind was so intense it sounded like a train whistle as it whipped through a crack in his patio door.