Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida Panhandle as extreme weather slams area

Hurricane Isaias slammed into the western Florida Panhandle near Destin late Friday evening as a terrifying Category 2 storm , unleashing ferocious 105 mph sustained winds and destruction. Follow live updates on Hurricane Isaias to track the storm’s path, get the latest news, and more The National Hurricane Center confirmed the storm’s center tore the coast around 9:30 p.m., with the eye moving inland while hurricane-force gales and life-threatening storm tides battered coastal towns from southern Alabama into the Florida Panhandle. An empty road is seen as the strong winds of Hurricane Isaias hit Pensacola, Florida on Oct. 9, 2026. AFP via Getty Images A harrowing storm surge warning is in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi River all the way to Florida’s Suwannee River, with a hurricane warning stretching from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida. Explore More Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs punished behind bars after VIP prison life exposed Trump confirms Karoline Leavitt replacement for WH press secretary 2-year-old boy struck and killed by SUV while pumpkin picking in NJ: ‘Absolute devastation’ Residents under hurricane and storm surge warnings faced rapidly deteriorating conditions as the deadly system pushed northward at about 18 mph. A graphic map shows Hurricane Isaias as a Category 3 Major Hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph on Oct. 9, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Forecasters warned of 6 to 9 feet of inundation along portions of the coast east of the landfall point, along with destructive winds expected to extend well inland into southern Alabama. Heavy rainfall of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated totals up to 15 inches, raised the risk of flash flooding across the region through the weekend as Isaias weakens and tracks toward the Tennessee Valley. Dramatic footage from reporters and stormchasers on the ground shows massive ocean surges roaring into coastal waters and violent winds powerful enough to knock people off their feet. A weather station near Santa Rosa Sound recorded a jaw-dropping wind gust of 116 mph alongside howling 91 mph sustained winds, while another station near Pensacola recorded a fierce 100 mph blast, according to Fox Weather .