Four people have died and hundreds of thousands of residents remain without power after Hurricane Isaias battered parts of the southern United States with powerful winds and heavy rain, BBC News reported.
According to BBC News, officials reported two deaths each in Alabama and Florida, where fallen trees damaged houses. Poweroutage.us reported that at least 600,000 people were without power across several states as of Saturday afternoon.
BBC News noted that Isaias made landfall in Florida late Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (168 km/h) before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. Alabama, Florida, and Georgia declared states of emergency ahead of the storm, while Florida and Alabama issued mandatory evacuation orders for thousands of people.
In Florida's Escambia County, local Sheriff Chip Simmons told BBC News that a woman was killed when a tree fell on her house. Joey Williams told NewsNation that he and his wife went outside to take pictures of the damage, but when they returned inside, a tree crashed through the roof. "I was able to squeeze out. My wife didn't make it," Williams told the outlet, as reported by BBC News. Sheriff Simmons also reported that a man died from carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in an improperly ventilated garage, while four others from the same house were hospitalized.
BBC News reported that the Florida National Guard shared images on X of soldiers swimming through floodwaters to rescue people from a submerged truck in a ditch. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned of a "very hazardous situation" with continued flood risks, according to BBC News.
In neighbouring Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey announced on X that two Alabamians lost their lives, BBC News reported, adding that a local sheriff was also injured by a falling tree while responding to a car crash. Governor Ivey warned of potential "spinoff tornadoes" from the strong winds and heavy rain.
In Charleston, South Carolina, officials urged residents to stay home as high tides approached 7.5 feet, noting on Facebook that floodwaters are difficult to see and judge after dark, according to BBC News.
Background
BBC News reported that Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Florida on late Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour before being downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone. Ahead of the storm, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia declared states of emergency, and mandatory evacuation orders were issued for thousands of residents. The storm caused widespread power outages affecting at least 600,000 people, downed trees, damaged houses, and brought severe flooding that required emergency water rescues by the Florida National Guard.
Why it matters
For readers in Pakistan and around the globe, extreme weather events of this magnitude highlight the growing frequency and intensity of natural disasters worldwide. Severe storms, urban flooding, and emergency evacuations underscore the universal challenges communities face when confronting powerful weather systems, reminding populations everywhere of the critical importance of disaster preparedness, timely warnings, and infrastructure resilience.