Blackout for thousands as Isaias hits Florida, Alabama
Hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were without power early on Saturday after Isaias crashed into the US Gulf Coast as a dangerous hurricane and left flooded roads and downed trees in its wake as it moved inland. The storm made landfall on 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. 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...
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