Hurricane Isaias Cuts Power to 800,000 Across US Southeast

Hurricane Isaias roared onto the US coast late Friday evening, striking near Destin, Florida with sustained winds of 165 kilometres per hour as a Category 2 storm. The hurricane subsequently weakened overnight as it moved inland, though not before triggering widespread power disruptions across the southeastern United States.

The outages affected more than 800,000 residents spread across three states in the region. Authorities had urged residents in the storm's path to secure their properties and take shelter as the system approached, with particular concern focused on coastal areas prone to storm surge and inland regions vulnerable to heavy rainfall.

The weakening of Isaias overnight reduced concerns about catastrophic damage, though officials warned of continued threats including localized flooding and isolated severe weather. Emergency response teams mobilised across affected areas to restore power and assist residents dealing with the storm's aftermath.

The hurricane added to an active Atlantic season, with meteorologists closely monitoring atmospheric conditions for further storm development in the coming weeks.