Isaias lashes Southeast after making landfall in the U.S.

Hurricane Simon strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm as it barrels toward Mexico's Pacific coast.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Saturday Simon's maximum sustained winds increased to 145 mph. Simon could bring as much as 10 to 20 inches of rain over parts of southwestern Mexico, with some areas receiving up to 30 inches, the center said.

The bulletin also urged residents to take immediate action to prepare, saying the hurricane will make landfall late Saturday or early Sunday, but tropical storm-strength winds could arrive much sooner.

Simon is expected to bring heavy rainfall to parts of southwestern Mexico, possibly concentrated along Jalisco's coast and in parts of Michoacan, Colima and Nayarit.

"This rainfall will produce life-threatening flooding and mudslides, especially in areas of steep terrain," the NHC said.

CBS/AP

The Trump administration approved federal emergency declarations for Florida and Alabama on Friday night.

This would allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer federal disaster assistance to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts for emergency conditions caused by the storm.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for more than two dozen counties ahead of the storm's landfall. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who told tourists and visitors in the state's coastal areas to leave immediately, issued a state of emergency for 40 counties.

"This emergency declaration will help cut tape for our federal partners to aid in any response. We will continue to stay engaged with the Trump Administration and other partners as we brace for this storm. Fellow Alabamians, y'all stay weather aware," Ivey said in a statement.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also declared a state of emergency.

"(The Department of Homeland Security) and FEMA stand ready to support DeSantis and Ivey as they lead efforts to protect lives and communities," DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on X.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle were without power early Saturday after Isaias hit the U.S. Gulf Coast as a dangerous hurricane and left flooded roads and downed trees in its wake as it moved inland.

According to poweroutage.us, as of 5 a.m., 834,061 customers have lost power.

Florida — with 436,443 — has the most customers without power. Alabama has 314,540 customers and Georgia has 83,078 without electricity.

Tim Mowry, who rode out the storm from his home in Pensacola, told the Associated Press that the wind was so intense it sounded like a train whistle as it whipped through a crack in his patio door. He lost power around 4:30 p.m. but was able to rely on a generator. 

"As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate," Mowry added.

Isaias, the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up Florida's Gulf Coast in 2024, is also expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.

Isaias weakened early Saturday morning to a post-tropical cyclone after making landfall in the northern Gulf Coast as a Category 2 hurricane. 

As of 2 a.m. Eastern Time Saturday, it had maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour and was centered about 55 miles southwest of Montgomery, Alabama, according to the National Hurricane Center. It was moving north at 20 mph. 

All hurricane warnings have been canceled. A storm surge warning was in effect in Florida from the Santa Rosa/Okaloosa county line to Suwannee River, and a tropical storm warning was in effect from the Alabama/Florida line to Aucilla River, Florida.

Prior to making landfall, the storm had strengthened to a Category 3 with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. 

The storm grounded most Friday flights at several Florida Panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport.

President Trump scrapped his plans to attend Saturday's football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn't want to disrupt emergency response efforts.

Isaias was expected to miss the oil industry's biggest hubs along the Gulf Coast, but fuel prices could rise if power outages shut down refineries for processing crude, industry experts said.

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, at around 8 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

Roads in Destin were flooded, while in nearby Pensacola, police warned residents to stay off the streets because of debris across roadways. 

While the extent of the damage was not immediately known, many area residents posted pictures online of downed trees and power lines, and one video posted to social media showed a roof being ripped off of an inn in Pensacola.

Some Florida Panhandle counties temporarily suspended emergency response due to dangerous conditions.

More than 697,000 customers were without power across Florida, Alabama and Georgia, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.  

Tim Mowry, who rode out the storm from his home in Pensacola, said the wind was so intense it sounded like a train whistle as it whipped through a crack in his patio door. He lost power around 4:30 p.m. but was able to rely on a generator. Standing water also covered his backyard, and parts of his fence were ripped down, but overall he said the storm wasn't as bad as he expected.

"As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate," Mowry said.

Mowry said his son, who lives about 15 minutes away, tried to drive to his home after losing power but had to turn around because downed trees and power lines blocked the roads.

CBS/AP

President Trump late Friday night told reporters that White House officials were tracking Hurricane Isaias "very closely," and added that it was "under control."

Earlier in the day, the White House approved federal emergency declarations for Florida and Alabama ahead of its arrival. 

Isaias had briefly strengthened into a Category 3 storm, which is defined as a major hurricane, before weakening to a Category 2 when it made landfall in the U.S. It was still expected to pack a punch as it moved inland, producing life-threatening storm surges and gusty winds. 

It was forecast to bring 4 to 8 inches of rain across southern Alabama, southwest Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, with totals as high as 15 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

Other parts of the Southeast could see anywhere from 2 to 10 inches of rain. 

Tens of thousands of people across the northern Gulf Coast were placed under evacuation orders ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Isaias. 

In Orange Beach, Alabama, streets and beaches were empty Friday heading into what was supposed to be a busy weekend for tourists. The gridlock on area roadways caused by fleeing residents over the past 48 hours was gone, and the evacuation window had closed, officials said, because winds were too strong.

The few residents left were trying to make the best of it. Christi Woods manages a wine store in Orange Beach, one of the only businesses that was still open Friday.

"We do take precautions, I mean, we're kind of in the flood zone," Woods said. 

"Folks who are in the path of this storm should know, this is not a random tropical system," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference Friday. "It's a major hurricane. And it's going to potentially do a lot of damage."  

A hurricane warning was in effect from the Mississippi/Alabama border to the Bay/Gulf County Line in Florida as Hurricane Isaias slams the Southeast. 

A tropical storm warning was in place from east of the Bay/Gulf County Line to the Aucilla River in Florida, while a storm surge warning was in place from Dauphin Island, Alabama, to the mouth of the Suwannee River in Florida.

Even though the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Isaias would likely downgrade to a post-tropical storm by Saturday, it was still set to deliver drenching rains and powerful winds to the region. 

The center of the storm was forecast to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday.   

All roads in the southern Alabama county of Houston were closed early Saturday morning because of downed trees and power lines caused by high winds from Isaias, local officials said, adding that there were major outages.

"Local emergency services, utility crews, and road crews are working to assess damage, clear debris and restore safe travel conditions," the county's emergency management agency said in a statement.

The county also said the region was under a flash flood warning.