Post-Tropical Isaias Leaves at Least 4 Dead, 800,000+ Without Power; DeSantis Briefs Recovery Progress
Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday night near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm with winds near 105 mph, then quickly weakened into a post-tropical cyclone moving north across Alabama into the Tennessee Valley on October 10. At least four people have died and more than 800,000 customers are without power, according to USA TODAY and the Associated Press.
Outage counts as of Saturday morning: about 283,869 customers in Alabama, 460,002 in Florida, 116,230 in Georgia, plus thousands more in North Carolina, Tennessee and South Carolina. The deaths include fatalities in Alabama and Florida from trees falling onto homes. Crews have restored power to nearly 100,000 customers, but some 16,000 linemen are still battling tree debris tangled in power lines.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a recovery briefing Saturday afternoon. He said that despite violent winds, most structures held up well; crews are clearing downed trees and restoring power; primary arteries I-10 and U.S. 98 are clear; and most grocery stores, gas stations and home-improvement retailers have reopened, with impacted businesses able to access damage assessments through the Florida Disaster Business Portal.
The state's chief financial officer issued a stern consumer warning about post-storm price gouging, urging residents to verify contractor credentials before signing contracts or paying deposits. The National Hurricane Center said the storm's remnants still carry a tornado threat for eastern Georgia and South Carolina, with a tornado watch in effect until 8 p.m. ET.
Forecasters warned that rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, locally up to 15 inches, is still expected across southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southwest Georgia through the weekend, with an ongoing inland river-flood threat. Residents are urged to avoid flooded roads and downed power lines.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: NOAA/CIRA，公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
