Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that six people in the state have been linked to Hurricane Isaias. The governor explained that two of the deaths occurred during the storm itself, while the other four are considered post‑storm incidents that resulted from the lingering effects of the system.
Direct storm fatalities
According to the governor, the first two storm‑related deaths were a woman whose home was struck by a falling tree and a man who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running in his garage. Both incidents occurred in Escambia County.
Post‑storm incidents
DeSantis described the additional four deaths as “a little bit more post‑storm, attenuated from the storm.” He cited a tragic accident involving tree removal, a vehicle collision at an intersection where the traffic signal was out, and two individuals whose medical treatment was disrupted by the storm’s aftermath.
“You know, the way Florida’s typically done this is, it’s not just if the storm knocks over your house and somebody gets killed for that to count. They kind of link anything that’s even a fallout from the storm,” the governor said. “So, I would say those other four are a little bit more post‑storm, attenuated from the storm, whereas the one with the tree obviously, that tree fell during the storm, it was a direct fatality as a result. So we’re sad to hear that.”
Power restoration progress
DeSantis highlighted that more than 430,000 Floridians lost electricity during Isaias, but the Florida Division of Emergency Management has made significant progress. “Today I can say that utilities have reconnected close to 95% of everybody who was out during those periods of time,” he said.
Points of distribution for free supplies remain open in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton and Washington counties. Residents are encouraged to visit FloridaDisaster.org/updates for locations, hours of operation and additional assistance.
Storm details and future outlook
Hurricane Isaias made landfall around 9:30 p.m. Friday near Destin as a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds before weakening to a post‑tropical cyclone as it moved inland. The system continued to bring heavy rain across the Southeast and the Southern Appalachians.
Following Isaias, the National Hurricane Center briefly monitored a new Atlantic disturbance off Africa, but development chances have since fallen to near 0 percent. No cyclone formation is forecast for the next seven days in the Atlantic.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
