Hurricane Isaias kills 4, disrupts Gulf oil; US releases 4M barrels

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on Friday night as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (168 km/h), rapidly weakening to a post-tropical cyclone within hours. The storm claimed at least four lives—two each in Florida and Alabama—with several deaths caused by falling trees. As of Saturday evening, more than 500,000 customers across Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi remained without power, with early reports indicating around 800,000 outages at peak.

The storm caused significant disruptions to energy production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. According to the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, approximately 70 percent of oil production capacity and more than 50 percent of natural gas production capacity in the Gulf were shut down. In response, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced that the Department of Energy authorized the emergency release of up to 4 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help maintain refinery operations, minimize fuel supply disruptions, and ensure stable energy access for American households and businesses. Major oil operators including Shell, Chevron, and others began mobilizing personnel to resume offshore production.

Damage across the affected region was widespread. Downed trees and power lines contributed to sustained outages, while strong winds damaged buildings, tore roofs off structures at gas stations and homes, and toppled truck trailers. Flooding posed an additional threat as the system moved inland. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declared states of emergency and warned of continued hazards including storm surge, flash flooding, damaging winds, and tornado risk across the Southeast. The National Hurricane Center forecast the storm would continue weakening as it moved northeast toward Tennessee and the Carolinas, with rainfall of 10 to 25 centimeters expected in vulnerable areas.

About 16,000 power restoration workers in Florida stood ready to address outages, and recovery operations were underway along the Gulf Coast. Roads, bridges, and airports reopened as the immediate threat subsided. Isaias was the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which forecasters attributed partly to El Niño conditions that have historically suppressed Atlantic cyclone activity while strengthening Pacific storms.