Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin at approximately 9:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 9, as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, according to state officials. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 27 Florida counties and activated thousands of military personnel and emergency response workers to support recovery efforts.
By 7 a.m. Saturday, approximately 448,298 customer accounts were without power statewide. Wind gusts reached 116 mph near Santa Rosa Sound and 100 mph near Pensacola, while water levels in Panama City Beach rose approximately 5.6 feet above the average high tide level.
The state had pre-positioned more than 16,000 linemen and restoration personnel ahead of the storm, allowing power restoration efforts to begin immediately following landfall. Restoration crews worked around the clock to restore power, prioritizing the hardest-hit communities.
Florida deployed nearly 400 soldiers from the Florida State Guard to assist with recovery efforts, including damage assessments, debris removal, and search and rescue operations. The state's National Guard activated approximately 5,000 Soldiers and Airmen, with more than 1,300 high-wheeled vehicles, 10 Zodiac boats, 50 construction and route clearance vehicles, and eight helicopters available for response efforts.
Additional resources included the Florida Highway Patrol, which deployed cut teams and escorted critical supplies and restoration equipment, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which positioned high-water vehicles, airboats, and shallow-draft boats for rapid deployment to affected areas.