Isaias weakens, rain and flooding remain a threat as storm moves across the Southeast - CBS News

What we know as Isaias moves across the Southeast:

- Isaias, the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, made landfall in the northern Gulf Coast near Destin, Florida, on Friday night as a Category 2 storm, but within hours had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone.

- At least four people have died due to the storm — two in Alabama and two in Florida. Two died as a result of trees falling on their homes, officials said.

- The weakening storm is still forecast to bring powerful winds, flash flooding and storm surges to a large swath of the Southeast through the weekend. It is expected to dissipate on Sunday.

- Tens of thousands of people have evacuated the region, officials said, and more than 450,000 customers were without power across the region.

Isaias moves toward Tennessee as flood risk continues

Isaias was making its way toward Tennessee as a post-tropical cyclone Saturday night and was still packing a punch despite weakening from the hurricane strength it had when it made landfall Friday night in the Florida Panhandle.

Isaias was located about 75 miles south of Nashville, and was moving northeast at 16 miles per hour. It had maximum sustained winds of 25 mph.

Flood watches were in place for the southern Appalachians and other portions of the Southeast due to heavy rainfall.

A tornado risk also remained for eastern Georgia and the Carolinas, forecasters said.

Isaias is expected to dissipate Sunday when it is absorbed by another system.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/isaias-southeastern-u-s-gulf-coast/#post-update-7ef93b7e

Residents in Florida's Panhandle examine the devastation from Isaias: "Pretty catastrophic"

Isaias struck Pensacola, Florida, on Friday night after making landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained winds of about 105 miles per hour.

It destroyed the Milton High School gymnasium, leaving debris scattered around the campus.

Gusts also peeled roofs off at least two gas stations and the home of the Mitich family in nearby Gulf Breeze, Florida.

"I looked and I took a step around and I was like, 'That was our roof, oh my God,'" Jayme Mitich said.

In some neighborhoods well away from the coastline, there appeared to be a tree either down or tangled in a power line around every corner, making it impossible to get around.

In Navarre, Florida, Tamara Stamm and Danielle Pagan were cleaning up debris. They combined families for the night so all nine children could be together.

"We boarded the windows and everything was good," Pagan said. "We heard a few things hit the boards, so that was a little bit scary."

Some are now contemplating how to even start cleaning up.

"Pretty catastrophic, when it comes to just the cosmetics of the storm," Sean Palamarczuk, co-owner, of the Angry Tuna Seafood Company in Panama City, Florida, said. "... Just to come and see it all just mangled and shattered is a little bit depressing."

After so much destruction, the restaurant owner decided his only choice, is to get back to work. He estimated the damage at between $50,000 and $75,000 in damage.

"It's time to get the doors open and start rebuilding," Palamarczuk said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cautioned that the danger is not over.

"Although the center of the storm has moved out of Florida, the threat of flooding remains," DeSantis said Saturday.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/isaias-southeastern-u-s-gulf-coast/#post-update-85748024

Trump approves federal emergency declaration for Georgia

President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Georgia Saturday in response to Isaias, FEMA announced.

The move frees up federal resources toward disaster relief efforts in dozens of counties.

The president had previously approved emergency declarations for the neighboring states of Florida and Alabama ahead of Isaias' landfall as a hurricane.

According to the National Hurricane Center, portions of northeast Georgia could see anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of rain, putting the region at risk of flash flooding.

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/isaias-southeastern-u-s-gulf-coast/#post-update-4f3e91e2

Federal government addresses disruptions in oil supply due to Isaias

The Energy Department announced Saturday it has authorized emergency exchanges of as much as 4 million gallons of crude oil from the nation's strategic petroleum reserve.