Florida emergency officials and state agencies have kicked off a massive recovery effort across the Panhandle after Hurricane Isaias slammed into Destin on Friday night.
The storm touched down around 9:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 105 mph. Governor Ron DeSantis flew to Destin on Saturday with top officials,including Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, Emergency Management Executive Director Jared Perdue, and Law Enforcement Commissioner Larry Keefe,to lay out the state’s emergency response.
Under Executive Order 26‑202, which updates EO‑26‑212, DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 27 Florida counties. By 1 p.m. Saturday, utility outages affected 439,162 customer accounts, and crews were working around the clock to restore power in the hardest‑hit areas.
Thousands of personnel from the state’s military and law‑enforcement branches have joined the effort. The Florida National Guard mobilized roughly 5,000 soldiers and airmen, stationing more than 1,300 high‑wheeled vehicles, 10 Zodiac boats, 50 route‑clearance trucks, and eight helicopters across the impact zone for search‑and‑rescue, reconnaissance, and flood mitigation. Guard units placed liaison officers in 16 counties, cleared routes to two hospitals, and have four more clearances in progress.
The Florida State Guard sent nearly 400 soldiers, deploying amphibious rescue craft, skid steers, telehandlers, and cut‑and‑toss crews to open roadways in Holmes and Escambia counties. Their drone teams are scanning for survivors and assessing infrastructure, while fixed‑wing aircraft stream live coastal imagery from Citrus to Franklin County back to the State Emergency Operations Center.
Law‑enforcement agencies are zeroing in on safety and traffic flow. Florida Highway Patrol troopers trimmed downed trees in 67 completed cuts and directed traffic through flooded stretches of U.S. 98. They also escorted utility trucks to Okaloosa County and 12 water tankers to Escambia County. To keep fuel moving and aid recovery travel, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles waived commercial driver‑hours limits, certain state fees, and late penalties.
On the roadways, the Department of Transportation announced that all state‑owned bridges and interstates reopened after crews cleared I‑10 and U.S. 98 by 6 a.m. Saturday. The state suspended tolls on the Mid‑Bay Bridge, Spence Parkway, and the Garcon Point Bridge to smooth travel. Port operations in Pensacola and Panama City stayed shut, and commercial flights were grounded at both Pensacola International and Destin‑Fort Walton Beach airports.
Public safety and health facilities emerged from the storm with only minor damage. The Department of Corrections confirmed that all prisons remain secure and inmates are accounted for, though a few sites in Region I suffered slight damage and are running on generators; weekend visitation across North Florida was canceled. The Department of Juvenile Justice reported that all youth and staff are safe, with minimal facility impact.
Special‑needs shelters stay open in nine counties, though several are already gearing up for demobilization. The Agency for Health Care Administration logged seven facility evacuations across the 27 affected counties,including four assisted‑living centers, one nursing home, one hospital, and one intermediate‑care facility,plus 69 sites reporting power problems and 27 reporting damage.
State agencies and private partners are coordinating humanitarian relief. The Department of Children and Families is distributing 600 pallets of food and hot meals alongside shelter teams. Comcast activated more than 26,000 public Wi‑Fi hotspots throughout the region, AT&T waived overage charges for the affected zip codes, and Uber is providing free round‑trip rides up to $40 each way to state‑approved shelters with promo code ISAIAS26.
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