About one million without electricity after hurricane makes landfall in Florida
Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall near Destin in Florida, United States, on Friday, has left about one million people in and around the city without power.
Data from PowerOutage.com showed that over 850,000 electricity customers earlier experienced power cuts, but the figure has dropped to about 840,000, BBC reports.
According to the site, Florida, which is the worst-hit state, currently has over 438,000 customers without power; Alabama has over 251,000 in darkness; Georgia has over 91,000 customers without power; while 12,400 households are in darkness in North Carolina.
Florida Power and Light has disclosed that power has already been restored to over 43,000 customers, representing over 12 per cent of those affected, as of Saturday afternoon.
Winds peaked at 120mph (193km/h) before Isaias made landfall. Isaias peaked as a category three hurricane, with heavy rain and powerful winds, but has since been downgraded.
Authorities disclosed that four people have died so far: two in Escambia County in Florida and two in Alabama.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while providing updates during a press conference on Saturday about the state government’s response to the hurricane, described the incident as a “hazardous situation”, adding that efforts are ongoing. Still, hundreds of thousands of people remain without power.
“The risk of flooding is still high. Sometimes these things happen a day or two days after the storm goes through. So the flooding story is not over,” Mr DeSantis stated further.
In a post on X on Saturday, Mr DeSantis also said, “Utility crews are working to restore power.”
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, in a statement on X on Saturday, said, “Unfortunately, we have also learned that two Alabamians have lost their lives.”
Mr Ivey said, “We have positioned teams throughout the state who have been working to clear debris and restore power. That is the focus right now, and I am proud to report that all major roadways, including the ICW, have been reopened.
“There are still some road closures due to downed power lines, and our linemen are working to clear that as soon as possible.”
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