October 10, 2026
Isaias Update: Two Deaths Confirmed, Shoal River Crests, 430,000 Still Without Power
Gov. DeSantis confirmed two storm-related deaths in the Panhandle. The Shoal River near Mossy Head crested in major flood and is now falling, while other Panhandle rivers rise toward Sunday crests.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday afternoon that two people died in storm-related incidents after Hurricane Isaias. One woman died when a tree fell on her home in Escambia County. Another person died in a garage where a generator was running. DeSantis reminded residents to run generators outside, never inside a home or garage. At about 2:30 PM, more than 430,000 Florida customers were still without power, about 325,000 of them in Florida Power & Light's service area, according to the Associated Press.
The National Hurricane Center's official landfall update says Isaias came ashore near Destin around 8:30 PM CDT Friday (9:30 PM ET) with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, a Category 2 hurricane, and an estimated minimum pressure of 971 mb. Isaias was a Category 3 hurricane earlier Friday (120 mph at 10 AM CDT), as our earlier posts reported, but it had weakened to Category 2 by the time it made landfall.
The Shoal River near Mossy Head in Walton County appears to have crested. NWS gauge readings peaked at about 22.5 feet late Saturday morning, which is major flood and just above the January 2010 crest of 22.3 feet. By 3:15 PM CDT the river had dropped to about 21.9 feet, and NWS expects it to fall to 14.2 feet by Monday morning. Downstream, the Shoal River near Crestview is still forecast to crest near 14.9 feet Sunday evening, in moderate flood. The Blackwater River near Baker and Big Coldwater Creek near Milton are forecast to crest Sunday morning. In Northeast Florida, NWS Jacksonville has coastal flood warnings for Duval County and the St. Johns River basin until 6 AM Sunday.
If flood water or a roof leak 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: NHC Tropical Cyclone Update: Isaias makes landfall near Destin (8:30 PM CDT Oct. 9), NHC Isaias Advisory #12 (10 AM CDT Oct. 9), AP via News4JAX: DeSantis confirms 2 storm-related deaths, NPR: At least 2 deaths attributed to Isaias, NWS Shoal River near Mossy Head gauge, NWS Shoal River near Crestview gauge, WPC Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias advisories, NWS active Florida alerts.
