Three people have died and hundreds of thousands are without power after Hurricane Isaias made landfall in the US. Around 840,000 people remained without power across the southeastern US on Saturday after winds hit substations and downed power lines overnight.
Officials urge residents to stay indoors
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel amid a "hazardous situation" in the state, where high winds, isolated tornadoes and flooding are expected to continue today.
"The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don't be getting out on the roads," he said, as photographs showed homes and businesses battered by the storm and falling debris.
Confirmed casualties
Authorities in Florida confirmed that a woman had died after a tree fell on her house amid peak winds of 120mph, with two more casualties confirmed in Alabama on Saturday.
Kay Ivey, governor of Alabama, said: "This storm brought in heavy winds throughout Alabama, taking down trees, knocking out power and doing some damage. Unfortunately, we have also learned that two Alabamians have lost their lives. I am praying for their loved ones this morning."
Power restoration suspended
The Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative utility company said they had been temporarily forced to halt efforts to restore power, as conditions had become too dangerous for work to be carried out.
A statement read: "Unfortunately, weather conditions have deteriorated to the point that, for the safety of our crews, we must temporarily suspend outage restoration efforts until conditions improve and it is safe to resume work. We understand how frustrating it is to be without power, and we sincerely appreciate patience and understanding."
Warnings and further storms
Emergency alerts had been sent to phones across Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi ahead of the hurricane warning residents to "take cover now."
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that the remnants of Isaias would continue to produce torrential tropical downpours and strong winds as the storm moves north through Alabama and Georgia.
It marks the beginning of the North American hurricane season, which has begun later than usual due to the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon. Large waves began lashing beaches in southern California on Saturday ahead of the impending Tropical Storm Rachel, while Hurricane Simon - expected to become a severe Category 4 storm - will make landfall on the eastern coast of Mexico on Sunday.
