Isaias Recovery Sunday Afternoon: FPL Passes 188,000 Restored, Crestview Crest Trimmed to 13.8 Feet, New River Warnings in North Florida

Florida Power & Light said Sunday that more than 188,000 customers had their power back in the first 24 hours of restoration after Hurricane Isaias, nearly 45% of those affected, and it still expects 95% of affected customers to be restored by the end of Monday. FPL says rain-soaked ground made trees more likely to uproot into power lines, and homes with storm damage may need a licensed electrician to make repairs before power can be safely restored. The City of Pensacola said that as of 9 AM Sunday FPL had restored 50,000 customers in Escambia County. Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO) said about 49,000 members were still without power Sunday morning, including 39,081 in Walton County (73%) and 9,508 in Okaloosa County (42%).

The National Weather Service has trimmed the forecast crest for the Shoal River near Crestview to 13.8 feet this evening, in moderate flood. NWS says homes on the south bank of the river begin to flood near Crestview at 13 feet, and the river is expected to fall below flood stage early Tuesday afternoon. Upstream, the Shoal River near Mossy Head was down to about 14.3 feet late Sunday morning and is expected to drop below flood stage this afternoon. Farther east, NWS now forecasts the Choctawhatchee River near Caryville to rise above flood stage early Thursday and crest at 14.1 feet Thursday morning, flooding Boat Ramp Road south of CR-179 in Holmes County.

New river flood warnings are also up elsewhere in Florida. NWS Jacksonville issued a Flood Warning Sunday morning for the St. Marys River at Macclenny, which was at 12.1 feet and is forecast to crest at 12.2 feet this afternoon, in minor flood, before falling below flood stage Tuesday evening. In Pasco County, NWS Tampa Bay says Cypress Creek at SR 54 could reach minor flood stage of 8.0 feet early Tuesday with more heavy rain in the forecast. The St. Johns River near Astor remains in moderate flood. In the tropics, the National Hurricane Center's 8 AM EDT outlook shows no systems threatening the U.S. The Weather Prediction Center is issuing advisories on Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias near the Tennessee-Kentucky border.

If water got into your home or business, take photos for your insurance claim and start drying out as soon as it is safe. Florida Restoration Specialists does water extraction and drying in Lakeland and across Polk County. Call (863) 588-6617.

Sources: FPL: Nearly 45% of customers restored in first 24 hours, WEAR: City of Pensacola restoration update, CHELCO: Hurricane Isaias 8:30 AM update, NWS Shoal River near Crestview gauge, NWS Shoal River near Mossy Head gauge, NWS Choctawhatchee River at Caryville gauge, NWS active Florida alerts, NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook, WPC Isaias advisories.