Hurricane Isaias and Tropical Storm Rachel Cause Widespread Damage

By October 12, 2026, Hurricane Isaias wreaked havoc from Florida’s Gulf Coast to the Carolinas. Making landfall near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 hurricane, it carved a path of destruction through the Southeast. The storm struck Friday night, and its impact was deadly and severe.

In Florida, the hurricane claimed the lives of two people. Similarly, Alabama recorded two fatalities. Notable wind gusts of extreme force were recorded 15 miles from the coast in Milton, Florida. A large tree fell onto a house, nearly causing tragedy for Phyllis Hennebery. ‘I never expected to be 77 years old and go through this,’ she remarked, pointing to the damage caused by the fallen tree in her home’s ceiling.

The storm’s ferocity damaged apartment buildings, tearing off roofs and walls. By Monday morning, over 150,000 Floridians were still without power, data from poweroutage.us revealed. In Alabama, more than 20,000 faced power outages. Pastor Jonathan Kaushal’s church group provided much-needed food and water relief to affected communities, saying, ‘Lots of people in need after the hurricane and so we just want to be there for the community.’

Hurricane Isaias also triggered at least eight confirmed tornadoes across Georgia and the Carolinas. One tornado severely damaged a home’s roof approximately 90 miles west of Charleston. In western North Carolina, the deluge led to road flooding as over half a foot of rain fell.

Concurrently, the West Coast contended with the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel. The storm unleashed 8-foot waves on beachfront homes south of Los Angeles. The Coast Guard conducted a dramatic helicopter rescue of a man trapped on a sailboat stranded onshore. Las Vegas also saw flooding as waters spread across the Strip. Severe weather interrupted the Moab 240 ultramarathon in Utah, leading to the rescue of 70 runners stranded by the floods.