Hurricane Isaias hits Destin as ocean warmth overrides El Niño

By Daniel Okafor · Reporting from New York · October 10, 2026

Hurricane Isaias struck Destin and cut power across Florida, proving that record ocean temperatures override seasonal wind shear to drive destructive late-season storms.

The storm arrived at night

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday night. The National Hurricane Center classified the storm as a Category 2 hurricane at landfall. Maximum sustained winds reached 105 miles per hour. As reported by RTÉ, Jonathan Ramos, a government employee in Pensacola, told AFP, "Things are flying really fast and I've never seen wind this fast before, so it's intense, it's scary." Ramos told AFP, "I don't recommend people coming down here for fun to do this."

The storm was the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. A strong El Niño caused the Atlantic hurricane season to be unusually quiet. Michael Fischer of University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science told AFP, "We have been seeing basically nearly record strong shear throughout the Atlantic Basin this year and that is consistent with what we'd expect to see with a strong El Niño event." But Marc Alessi, a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, told AFP, "Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are in record territory because of fossil fuel-driven climate change." Alessi told AFP, "Isaias was able to tap into all of that energy in the ocean to develop into a major hurricane." Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at nonprofit Climate Central, told AFP that Gulf of Mexico waters are about 1.4C above the pre-industrial average. Dahl told AFP that Isaias "formed over waters that were 600 times more likely to be that temperature because of climate change."

Primary NOAA data show the storm's steady climb. Hurricane Isaias had wind speeds of 35 kts. The storm reached 95 kts. Like Hurricane Milton, which tied with 2005's Hurricane Rita for the most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, Isaias proved that record-high Gulf sea surface temperatures fuel the rapid intensification of an October hurricane hitting Florida.

Darkness across the coast

Power outages followed the wind. More than 610,000 customers in Florida and Alabama lost power, according to figures from PowerOutage.us cited by Anadolu Agency. RTÉ and DW reported customers without electricity in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama as of Friday evening. Repair trucks staged in the cities of Pensacola and Navarre. Water service to buildings was suspended.

Governors acted before the wind hit. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 25 counties. DeSantis said, "buckle down at this point. Don't be getting out on the roads." Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned those "thinking about using this storm's power outages and evacuations to break in, loot, or steal: don't even try it." Uthmeier said, "During an emergency, these crimes become first-degree felonies, punishable by up to 30 years in prison." Alabama Governor Kay Ivey ordered tourists and non-residents in parts of Baldwin and Mobile counties to leave immediately. Officials said the evacuation window closed because winds were too strong. Ivey said Uber, Comcast, and Home Depot offered help to Alabamians. Uber offered free round-trip rides to state-approved evacuation shelters in Mobile and Baldwin counties. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Georgia counties on Thursday.

Federal authorities moved in tandem. The Trump administration approved federal emergency declarations for Florida and Alabama. US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said, "emergency declarations have been approved in Florida and Alabama to ensure federal resources are available to respond to #Isaias." President Donald Trump cancelled a visit to a University of Georgia and University of Alabama football game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Offshore, the Marine Minerals Administration reported 71 percent of the region's oil production was temporarily halted, while 59 percent of gas production was suspended.

Rain in the mountains

The storm moved inland, bringing heavy rain and tornadoes. Storm surge in Panama City Beach reached 5.6 feet above mean higher high water, while forecasters predicted a surge of up to 9 feet from the Alabama-Florida border to Grayton Beach. High-tide flooding occurred along the historic Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, Florida. FOX 5 Atlanta reported that northeastern Georgia mountains were forecast to receive up to 5 inches of rain. Forecasters issued a risk for flash flooding in the Atlanta metro area and regions to the east. A Flash Flood Watch was in effect for Central and North Georgia from overnight Friday through Sunday morning. Spelman College canceled all campus Homecoming activities for Saturday, moving official programming indoors to Sunday. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport activated its Emergency Operations Center on Saturday. Airport General Manager Ricky Smith said, "The safety and well-being of our passengers, employees and partners remain our highest priority."

Critics may argue that late-season storms in El Niño years remain statistical anomalies that require no shift in coastal infrastructure planning or emergency readiness. But this objection collapses against the physical record. Record ocean temperatures override seasonal wind shear every time. Florida will request a federal major disaster declaration within 72 hours.

Hurricane Isaias hits Destin as ocean warmth overrides El Niño

The storm arrived at night

Darkness across the coast

Rain in the mountains

Sources