Officials Confirm First Death From Hurricane Isaias In FL

PENSACOLA, FL — Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons says at least one person has died in Florida as a result of Hurricane Isaias.

The fatality comes as northwest Florida begins assessing widespread damage from the Category 2 hurricane, which made landfall near Destin late Friday night before moving north into Alabama and Georgia.

"Unfortunately, I can also confirm that we have had one fatality," Simmons said in a statement Saturday morning. "A tree fell on a house and unfortunately took the life of a lady, and our thoughts and prayers are obviously with that family."

The woman's identity and the exact location of the incident were not immediately released.

Simmons urged residents to remain patient as emergency responders and utility crews begin assessing damage throughout Pensacola and surrounding communities.

"Well, it's daylight, so we know that people will be getting out and trying to assess the damage, not just around their houses, but around our neighborhood," Simmons said.

The sheriff said Florida Power & Light crews were expected to be working throughout the area Saturday morning as restoration efforts got underway.

The Escambia County Sheriff's Office says it will continue patrolling affected neighborhoods and providing updates as needed, Simmons said.

Escambia County was one of the harder hit along the Gulf Coast Friday evening, with approximately 129,470 customers without power as of the publication of this story.

The confirmed fatality follows a Saturday morning briefing from Gov. Ron DeSantis, who acknowledged reports of a possible storm-related death in Escambia County but said state officials had not yet independently verified the information.

Patch previously reported that Isaias made landfall near Destin at approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. The storm had reached Category 3 strength earlier in the day before weakening slightly ahead of landfall.

The hurricane brought damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and widespread power outages to northwest Florida, with some of the most significant impacts reported in Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties.

Patch's live coverage of Hurricane Isaias reported wind gusts reaching 102 mph at Pensacola City Hall Friday, while Pensacola International Airport recorded an 86 mph gust.

The storm also left hundreds of thousands of Florida utility customers without electricity.

In preparation for the hurricane, DeSantis expanded Florida's state of emergency to 27 counties Friday, mobilizing thousands of National Guard personnel, emergency responders and utility workers to assist with recovery efforts.

Authorities continue urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel, stay clear of downed power lines and exercise caution around damaged trees and structures as recovery efforts get underway.

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This is a developing story. Check back with Patch for updates on Hurricane Isaias and its aftermath across Florida.