United States: Isaias Came Ashore Near Destin as a Category 2; Pensacola and Destin Airports Still Closed as Flood Threat Moves Inland

October 10, 2026 — Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday evening and has weakened to a post-tropical low over Alabama, but two Florida Panhandle airports remain shut to airline flights, nearly 900,000 customers were without power Saturday morning, and heavy rain is spreading toward Atlanta and the southern Appalachians.

This updates our October 9 story, when Isaias was a Category 3 offshore.

What is new since Friday

• Landfall. Isaias came ashore near Destin at about 8:30 pm CDT Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds, according to media reports citing the National Hurricane Center. It had weakened from Category 3 before reaching the coast.
• Now. The hurricane center’s final advisory, at 4:00 am CDT Saturday, placed the post-tropical low about 25 miles south-southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, with 35 mph winds, moving north. All coastal storm surge and tropical storm warnings have been dropped.
• Deaths. Two deaths from trees falling on homes were reported, one in Escambia County, Florida, and one in Birmingham, Alabama. Florida’s governor said Saturday morning the state had not yet confirmed any fatalities.
• Power. PowerOutage.us data cited by CBS News showed more than 884,000 customers out at 7:38 am ET Saturday across Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Escambia County is under a precautionary boil-water notice.
• Roads. Interstate 10 and US 98 in the Panhandle have reopened, the governor said. In Alabama, flooding closed roads across Houston County, around Dothan.

Airports

American, Delta, Southwest and United issued change waivers for Gulf Coast airports covering travel through October 10 or 11, according to Aerocorner. We found no extensions.

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Inland flood threat

• The hurricane center forecasts another 4 to 8 inches of rain, locally up to 15, over southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and southwest Georgia, and 2 to 5 inches, locally 10, across the rest of the Southeast.
• Fox Weather reports a Level 3 of 4 flood risk for north Georgia and the Blue Ridge, including Atlanta and Asheville. Flash flooding and landslides are possible in the southern Appalachians. Rain reaches the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Sunday.
• Newfound Gap Road (US 441) through Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed Friday evening.

Also in the US

• Southern California. A Tropical Storm Watch covers the coast from the Mexican border to the San Diego–Orange County line as Tropical Storm Rachel comes ashore in northern Baja California tonight. Expect rain and possible delays at San Diego on Sunday.
• Chicago hotel strike. We found no change on Saturday. UNITE HERE Local 1 members have been on an open-ended strike since 6 am Friday at six downtown hotels: Palmer House Hilton, Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk, Waldorf Astoria Chicago, Westin Chicago River North, Westin Michigan Avenue and Millennium Knickerbocker. The hotels remain open. The Chicago Marathon is Sunday.
• Northeast Corridor. Amtrak lists Portal North Bridge work affecting Acela and Northeast Regional service from October 9 to November 15. NJ Transit diverts weekday Midtown Direct trains to Hoboken from October 11 to November 14.
• No change: passport processing (4 to 6 weeks routine, 2 to 3 weeks expedited), State Department advisory levels, and no government shutdown. The Atlantic outlook shows no new tropical development expected in the next seven days.

What it means for travelers

• Pensacola and Destin: do not plan to fly until the airport confirms commercial flights have resumed. Panama City is the nearest reopened option, but recovery flights will be full.
• Atlanta and Charlotte connections: storms over Georgia and the Carolinas on Saturday will cause delays and misconnects. Seats tighten as cancelled passengers are rebooked. Pick earlier flights and have a backup routing.
• Driving out: check state transportation sites before you set off. Flooded roads and downed trees are the main danger now. Never drive through standing water.
• Staying in the Panhandle: confirm your hotel has power and water before you travel.
• Chicago: if you are booked at one of the six struck hotels, expect picket lines and reduced housekeeping and food service. Ask the hotel what is running, or rebook.
• Northeast Corridor rail: allow extra time on Amtrak and NJ Transit during the Portal Bridge work.

Sources

• US National Hurricane Center, “Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias Advisory Number 15”
• US National Hurricane Center, Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook
• City of Pensacola, alerts
• WEAR, “DeSantis: 448,000 without power after Isaias; major Panhandle routes reopen”
• CBS News, “Deadly Isaias weakens, rain and flooding remain a threat”
• Fox Weather, live updates on Isaias
• Associated Press via News4Jax, “The Latest: Isaias weakens after making landfall as Category 2 hurricane”
• WWSB, “Isaias leaves 2 dead, widespread outages after Category 2 landfall near Destin”
• Aerocorner, “Isaias Shuts Pensacola and Destin Airports”
• Atlanta News First, flights cancelled and delayed at Atlanta airport during Isaias
• US National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Rachel Public Advisory 54
• Chicago Sun-Times, hotel workers strike on marathon weekend
• Skift, “Chicago Hotel Strike Hits Marriott and Hilton Hotels During Marathon Weekend”
• Amtrak, Service Alerts and Notices
• 6sqft, “NJ Transit to cut service for five weeks as final Portal Bridge cutover begins”
• US State Department, passport processing times