Hurricane Isaias has made landfall in the US state of Florida, bringing life-threatening flooding and winds that have prompted thousands of evacuations. The storm, which weakened slightly to a Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph (175 kph) winds, struck Florida's western panhandle on Friday evening.
States of emergency have been issued in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia. Meteorologists have warned of life-threatening storm surge that could lead to up to 9 feet (2.7m) of flooding in some areas. Both Florida and Alabama have instituted mandatory evacuations, including for coastal communities in Florida and non-residents, tourists, and visitors in key counties in Alabama.
The National Hurricane Center has warned that the storm is likely to bring "life-threatening storm surge" to the US Gulf Coast. After hitting Florida, the centre of Isaias is forecast to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.
As of Friday evening, hurricane-force winds extended up to 35 miles (55 km) from Isaias' centre, with tropical storm-force winds reaching as far as 205 miles (335 km). The Florida Panhandle and the rest of the US Gulf Coast are experiencing fierce winds and heavy rain, with the potential for accompanying tornadoes.
Hundreds of thousands were without power in the country's southeast even before the storm made landfall, with over 350,000 in Florida and 170,000 in Alabama experiencing outages. Around 8,000 customers in Georgia were also without power.