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Sunday, October 11, 2026

The File

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Safety · Sunday, October 11, 2026

Isaias came ashore near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2; officials report at least four deaths, and the flood threat moves into the Appalachians

Added 8:35 a.m. ET, Oct. 11

The File desk · Oct 11, 2026, 12:35 PM UTC

Status

Partially confirmed. Landfall details and the current forecast come from the National Hurricane Center and the Weather Prediction Center, read on nhc.noaa.gov. Death reports come from news organizations quoting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and county officials in Alabama; this desk did not find them on a government page.

  • Confirmed

    Isaias made landfall near Destin around 8:30 p.m. Central time Friday with top winds near 105 mph. A gauge in Panama City Beach showed water about 5.6 feet above normal high tide, and a station near Santa Rosa Sound recorded a 116 mph gust (National Hurricane Center update, Oct. 9).

  • Confirmed

    At 4 a.m. Central Sunday, the leftover storm was about 65 miles southeast of Nashville with winds near 25 mph, racing northeast at 23 mph. Flood watches cover coastal parts of the Carolinas and the Blue Ridge of the central and southern Appalachians, and significant river flooding in the western Florida Panhandle should crest Sunday (Weather Prediction Center advisory 19).

  • Partially confirmed

    Gov. Ron DeSantis said two people died in Escambia County, Florida: one when a tree fell on his home, and one found in his garage with a generator running (ABC News; Miami Herald).

  • Partially confirmed

    Officials reported two deaths in Alabama, including one in Jefferson County, which includes Birmingham, when a tree fell on a house (ABC News; NPR, quoting Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency director Jim Coker).

Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin, Florida, about 8:30 p.m. Central time Friday as a Category 2, with winds near 105 mph, the National Hurricane Center says. Officials report at least four deaths, two in Florida and two in Alabama, news organizations say. The storm has since broken down, but its rain still threatens flash floods along the Blue Ridge and into the Mid-Atlantic.

Isaias came ashore weaker than the major hurricane forecasters had expected, but it still hit hard. A gauge in Panama City Beach showed water about 5.6 feet above normal high tide. A station near Santa Rosa Sound measured a gust of 116 mph. The storm lost its tropical character early Saturday over Alabama.

In Florida's Escambia County, one man died when a tree fell on his home, and another was found dead in his garage with a generator running, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday, according to ABC News and the Miami Herald. He urged people not to run generators indoors. In Alabama, a tree fell on a house in Jefferson County and killed a person there, the county's emergency management director told NPR. ABC News reported a second Alabama death.

By early Sunday the leftover storm was near Nashville, heading northeast. The Weather Prediction Center expects 1 to 3 inches of rain, up to 5 in spots, from the central Appalachians into the Mid-Atlantic, with isolated flash flooding. Flood watches cover coastal parts of the Carolinas and the Blue Ridge. A couple of tornadoes are possible today in Virginia and North Carolina. Rivers in the western Florida Panhandle are expected to crest Sunday.

What is still unknown or disputed

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Hurricane Isaias Tropical Cyclone Update, 830 PM CDT Fri Oct 09 2026

    National Hurricane Center (NOAA) · October 9, 2026

    NWS Doppler Radar data indicate that Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, around 830 PM CDT (0130 UTC) with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph

    https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2026/al09/al092026.update.10100129.shtml

  2. Source 2

    Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias Advisory Number 19

    Weather Prediction Center (NOAA) · October 11, 2026

    ...FLASH FLOODING RISK CONTINUES ALONG BLUE RIDGE AS ISAIAS STARTS ACCELERATION NORTHEASTWARD...

    https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/2026/al09/al092026.public.019.shtml

  3. Source 3

    Hurricane Isaias updates: At least 4 dead as Isaias downgraded to post-tropical cyclone

    ABC News · October 10, 2026

    At least four deaths from the storm were confirmed, according to officials, including two in Florida and two in Alabama.

    https://abcnews.com/US/live-updates/hurricane-isaias-updates-isaias-strengthens-category-3/?entryId=137168716&id=137128637

  4. Source 4

    At least 2 deaths attributed to Isaias after hurricane bashes Florida and Alabama

    NPR · October 10, 2026

    "We did have a storm-related fatality overnight," Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Coker told NPR.

    https://www.npr.org/2026/10/10/g-s1-147632/at-least-2-deaths-attributed-to-isaias-after-hurricane-bashes-florida-and-alabama

  5. Source 5

    Hurricane Isaias damage in Florida Panhandle and power outages

    Miami Herald · October 10, 2026

    Another person was found dead inside his garage with a generator running, and DeSantis urged people to not run generators indoors.

    https://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article317568999.html