TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday morning that nearly 450,000 utility customers remained without power across Northwest Florida after Hurricane Isaias made landfall in the Panhandle, but state officials had not confirmed any storm-related fatalities as recovery efforts continued.
Speaking during a statewide briefing, DeSantis said the storm came ashore near Destin at 9:30 p.m. Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of about 105 mph. Wind gusts reached as high as 116 mph near Santa Rosa Sound, while storm surge pushed water levels approximately 5.5 feet above normal in some areas.
WATCH BELOW: Santa Rosa County among hardest hit counties, DeSantis says
Although the storm has since weakened into a post-tropical cyclone and moved out of Florida, DeSantis warned that flooding remains a concern, particularly in parts of the Panhandle and Big Bend expected to receive 4 to 8 inches of rain through the weekend.
"As of now there have been no confirmed fatalities," DeSantis said, noting reports of a possible death in Escambia County linked to a fallen tree had not yet been confirmed by the state.
State officials said more than 16,000 linemen were staged ahead of the storm and began restoration efforts as early as 3 a.m. Saturday.
By 7 a.m., approximately 448,000 customer accounts were without electricity statewide, including about 323,000 Florida Power & Light customers and roughly 110,000 customers served by electric cooperatives.
Some of the hardest-hit counties included Santa Rosa County, where about 90% of customers were without power, Holmes County at 89%, Washington County at 86%, Walton County at 85%, Escambia County at 75% and Okaloosa County at 53%, according to the governor.
The Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Patrol launched overnight "cut and toss" operations to clear roads of fallen trees and debris. Officials said all state-owned bridges had been inspected and reopened by 6 a.m. Saturday. Interstate 10 and U.S. 98, two major transportation corridors in the region, were also reopened.
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport resumed commercial operations Saturday morning, while Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport and Pensacola International Airport remained closed.
Despite the storm's impacts, state emergency officials said they had not received any requests for large-scale search and rescue deployments.
Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Jared Perdue said state teams remain on standby as flood risks continue.
"We are going to keep search and rescue teams ready to go," Perdue said. "There could be continued flooding from all of the rainfall."
Officials urged residents to avoid driving through flooded roadways, stay clear of downed power lines and limit unnecessary travel while utility crews and emergency workers continue recovery efforts.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier also warned residents to watch for scams in the aftermath of the storm, including reports of fraudulent text messages offering tree-removal services and unlicensed contractors seeking repair work.
State officials said damage assessments are underway and will help determine whether Florida qualifies for additional federal disaster aid beyond the pre-landfall emergency declaration already approved by FEMA.
DeSantis said he planned to visit storm-damaged areas in the Panhandle later Saturday, including parts of Okaloosa County, to assess conditions and meet with local officials.
"We were ready for the worst," DeSantis said. "We'll get everything back up and running and let people go on with their lives as soon as possible."
