Hurricane Isaias made landfall Friday night in the Florida panhandle as a Category 2 storm, and by Saturday afternoon it had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone. The damage, though, is already done. At least three people are dead across the Gulf Coast, and officials warn that number could rise as crews continue damage assessments.
Two of the deaths happened in Alabama, where Birmingham Fire and Rescue responded after midnight Saturday to a home on Monterey Drive. Crews found two people trapped inside after a tree fell on the house. One was pronounced dead at the scene, and the second was confirmed dead later. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida confirmed a third death early Saturday, also from a falling tree.
Isaias tracked north through several Gulf states with heavy rain and wind, but it stayed well west of the Suncoast. Even so, the storm is a useful reminder for anyone living between Sarasota and Venice: the wind speed on the map isn’t the whole story. Fallen trees and downed limbs cause a large share of storm deaths and injuries, and a tree that looks healthy from the ground can be hollow inside. If you have a large tree near your home, a professional inspection before the next system forms is one of the simplest things you can do.
Were you tracking Isaias over the weekend, or did it catch you by surprise? Let us know in the comments.
