Climate News

Hurricane Isaias kills at least four in Florida and Alabama; outage counts vary widely

Hurricane Isaias, the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, made landfall near Destin, Florida, late on Friday, October 9, as a category 2 storm with sustained winds of 105mph (169km/h), Al Jazeera reported. By Saturday it had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama, but at least four people had died, two in each state.

The Guardian said two of the deaths were caused by trees falling on homes, one in Escambia county, Florida, and one in Birmingham, Alabama. Another was linked to a crash with a downed tree, and one person was found in a closed garage with a running generator. Winds tore the roof off a hotel in Pensacola and damaged the city's airport.

“The flooding story is not over.” — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, via Al Jazeera

Officials warned saturated ground could still bring flash floods and tornadoes. The Boston Globe led on the flood threat across the south-east.

How each outlet framed it

• Al Jazeera — the storm's path, wind speeds and official warnings.
• The Guardian — the cause of each death and the quick reopening of coastal roads.
• The Boston Globe — what comes after: floods across the region.

Where the numbers differ: Al Jazeera's report cited about 440,000 customers without power on Saturday night, though its original headline said 800,000; The Guardian said half a million.

What happened next: On October 13 Florida confirmed six deaths linked to the storm, The Guardian reported.