Some in Florida and Alabama without power as Isaias moves north to Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic

At least four deaths linked to storm amid warnings of flash flooding that could stretch into AppalachiansNearly 396,000 customers across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama remained without power early Sunday as remnants of Hurricane Isaias moved north, where widespread moderate to heavy rainfall was expected across the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic region.Heavy rainfall associated with the storm could bring isolated flash flooding and strong wind gusts and remain a threat across the south-eastern US, especially near the southern Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). That could bring scattered power outages and downed trees and power lines. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to continue along the Gulf and south-eastern Atlantic coasts.

Hurricane Isaias has left nearly 396,000 customers without power across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama Nearly 396,000 customers across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama remained without power early Sunday as remnants of Isaias moved north, where widespread moderate to heavy rainfall was expected across the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic region. Forecasters warned that flooding could stretch into the Appalachians.Isaias came ashore as a Category 2 hurricane Friday near Destin, Florida, a Gulf Coast vacation spot filled with high-rises and tourist shops.Despite warnings of storm surges ahead of the storm, several major routes along the coast were open by daybreak Saturday and free of downed trees and power lines typically seen after major hurricanes.Hurricane-force winds in the Florida Panhandle blew the roof off a Pensacola hotel, and the city’s mayor said the airport “took some damage.” The storm flattened a boathouse in Destin and ripped away part of the facade of a high-rise in Panama City Beach.A worker in a condominium parking lot swept piles of the building’s insulation while others put back beach chairs that had been tossed about.In Florida’s Escambia County, Sheriff Chip Simmons said a woman was killed when a tree fell on her home and a man died of carbon monoxide fumes from a generator running in his garage.

Four of the man’s family members, ranging in age from 4 to 72, were treated but were expected to survive, the sheriff said.The first hurricane of the Atlantic season, Isaias roared farther into Alabama with tropical-force winds.One person died when a tree fell on a house in Birmingham, said Cory Moon, the city’s fire chief. A second storm-related death in Alabama was attributed to a motor vehicle crash involving a downed tree in Barbour County, said Josh Johnson of the state’s emergency management agency.Along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, authorities in Mobile reported numerous downed trees…