Hurricane Isaias Florida brought destructive winds and a continuing risk of flooding across the Panhandle after the storm made landfall as a Category 2 system late Friday, according to officials.
Isaias came ashore in the Florida Panhandle with maximum sustained winds near 105 miles per hour before tracking inland toward Pensacola on Friday night. The storm tore through Milton, where the high school gymnasium was destroyed and debris littered the campus.
Gusts also ripped roofs from at least two gas stations and from the home of the Mitich family in nearby Gulf Breeze. “I looked and I took a step around and I was like, ‘That was our roof, oh my God,'” said Jayme Mitich.
Far from the beach, neighborhoods were blocked by toppled trees and downed power lines, making travel difficult or impossible in some areas.
In Navarre, residents Tamara Stamm and Danielle Pagan spent Saturday clearing debris. The families sheltered together overnight so their nine children could stay in one place. “We boarded the windows and everything was good,” Pagan said. “We heard a few things hit the boards, so that was a little bit scary.”
Business owners were also assessing damage. In Panama City, Angry Tuna Seafood Company co-owner Sean Palamarczuk called the impact “pretty catastrophic” to the building’s exterior, describing the scene as mangled and shattered. He estimated losses between 50,000 and 75,000 dollars and said the focus now is to reopen and rebuild.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged residents to remain vigilant even as the center moved away. “Although the center of the storm has moved out of Florida, the threat of flooding remains,” DeSantis said Saturday.
Hurricane Isaias Florida damage and cleanup
Crews and residents across the western Panhandle continued to pick through wreckage, remove fallen trees and check power lines as the region faced lingering heavy rain and the possibility of additional flooding. Officials asked the public to avoid downed wires and to give emergency responders space to work as recovery begins.
