Weather
Florida Hurricane Isaias Update: NWS Confirms 91 MPH Gusts, 13 Inches of Rain
Tallahassee, FL – The National Weather Service has released its initial damage and weather report for Hurricane Isaias, revealing powerful wind gusts reaching 91 mph, nearly 13 inches of rainfall and
By Erin Vale · 2026-10-12T10:06:04.863Z
Tallahassee, FL – The National Weather Service has released its initial damage and weather report for Hurricane Isaias, revealing powerful wind gusts reaching 91 mph, nearly 13 inches of rainfall and widespread coastal flooding across portions of Florida and southeast Alabama.
According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, the preliminary report, released Sunday, Oct. 11, details impacts from Hurricane Isaias after the storm made landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 p.m. CDT Friday, Oct. 9, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.
The newly released findings highlight the storm's destructive strength across the Florida Panhandle, where hurricane force winds damaged structures, uprooted trees and caused widespread power outages.
Some of the strongest recorded wind gusts included 91 mph at Choctaw Beach, 83 mph at Gulf Coast State College and 72 mph at Panama City Beach.
Heavy rainfall created another significant threat across the region.
Bellwood, Alabama, recorded the highest reported rainfall total at 12.97 inches. Other locations experienced rainfall exceeding 8 inches, contributing to widespread flash flooding and dangerous travel conditions.
Along Florida's coastline, storm surge caused substantial beach erosion, damaged infrastructure and pushed water across coastal roadways.
The Panama City Beach Pier recorded a maximum water level of 5.59 feet above mean higher high water, while Apalachicola reached 3.58 feet.
The report also describes a possible brief tornado near Eastpoint, Florida, that damaged a couple of homes. Additional investigation is needed to determine whether a tornado occurred.
The National Weather Service emphasized that all reported storm measurements remain preliminary and may be updated or corrected as additional information becomes available.
Residents across affected communities may continue dealing with cleanup, property damage and infrastructure repairs following the hurricane.