Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Jared Perdue at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to provide updates on Florida’s ongoing response and recovery efforts following Hurricane Isaias.
Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin at approximately 9:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 9, as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. Wind gusts reached 116 mph near Santa Rosa Sound and 100 mph near Pensacola, while water levels in Panama City Beach rose approximately 5.6 feet above the average high tide level. Following landfall, Isaias moved north through the western Florida Panhandle into southern Alabama, weakening into a post-tropical cyclone early Saturday morning.
Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 26-202, amending EO-26-212 and declaring a state of emergency for 27 Florida counties.
Ahead of Hurricane Isaias, more than 16,000 linemen and restoration personnel were positioned in preparation for the storm, allowing power restoration efforts to begin as soon as conditions permitted. As of 7 a.m., approximately 448,298 customer accounts were without power statewide. Restoration crews continue working around the clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, prioritizing the hardest-hit communities.
