Thousands without power in Florida and Alabama as Isaias moves north

Nearly 396,000 customers across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama remained without power early Sunday as remnants of Hurricane Isaias moved north, where widespread moderate to heavy rainfall was expected across the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic region.Heavy rainfall associated with the storm could bring isolated flash flooding and strong wind gusts and remain a threat across the south-eastern US, especially near the southern Appalachians, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). That could bring scattered power outages and downed trees and power lines. Life-threatening surf and rip current conditions were expected to continue along the Gulf and south-eastern Atlantic coasts.At least four deaths were linked to the storm, including two people killed when trees fell on to homes in Florida and Alabama. Forecasters warned that flooding could stretch into the Appalachians.Isaias came ashore as a category 2 hurricane on Friday near Destin, Florida, a Gulf Coast vacation spot filled with high-rises and tourist shops.Despite warnings of storm surges ahead of the storm, several major routes along the coast were open by daybreak on Saturday and free of downed trees and power lines typically seen after major hurricanes.Hurricane-force winds in the Florida Panhandle blew the roof off a Pensacola hotel, and the city’s mayor said the airport “took some damage”. The storm flattened a boathouse in Destin and ripped away part of the facade of a high-rise in Panama City Beach.In Florida’s Escambia county, sheriff Chip Simmons said a woman was killed when a tree fell on her home – and a man died of carbon monoxide fumes from a generator running in his garage. Four of the man’s family members, ranging in age from 4 to 72, were treated but were expected to survive, the sheriff said.The first hurricane of the Atlantic season, Isaias roared farther into Alabama with tropical-force winds.One person died when a tree fell on a house in Birmingham, the city’s fire chief, Cory Moon, said. A second storm-related death in Alabama was attributed to a motor vehicle crash involving a downed tree in Barbour county, said Josh Johnson of the state’s emergency management agency.Along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, authorities in Mobile reported numerous downed trees and power lines.Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Georgia after the president did the same for Florida and Alabama, allowing for federal aid.The US Energy Department authorized emergency exchanges of crude oil from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve to address disruptions in supply because of the storm.The NWS said parts of Georgia and the Carolinas could see heavy rain capable of causing flash floods.Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Simon strengthened to 155mph (250kph), only just below the threshold for becoming a category 5 storm, as it approached Mexico’s coast. Simon was expected to bring heavy rainfall beginning on Sunday to parts of south-western Mexico with life-threatening flooding and mudslides.Tropical storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and southern California.