Hurricane Isaias tore through Florida’s western Gulf Coast Friday evening, bringing storm surge, heavy winds and plenty of rain. Now the region is assessing the damage and starting the recovery process.
The storm made landfall in Okaloosa County as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 120 mph. State and local officials said they’re working on the first order of clean up – clearing roads and restoring power.
“Right now I think clearing those trees, clearing the debris – that mission continues,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday afternoon during a briefing in Fort Walton Beach. “Our utilities are working hard to get everyone reconnected and back on the grid and I know that will be a breath of fresh air for everyone when that happens.”
Isaias knocked power out to nearly 450,000 homes and businesses as of 7 a.m., and there were 439,162 still without electricity as of 1 p.m. Saturday. That includes 132,020 in Escambia County (about 76 percent of the county), 86,020 in Santa Rosa County (about 88 percent of the county), 66,840 in Okaloosa County (about 54 percent of the county) and 43,910 in Bay County (about 32 percent of the county).
Jared Perdue, the Secretary of Transportation and the executive director of the Division of Emergency Management, said recovery teams were able to clear Interstate-10 and U.S. Route 98 in the area by Saturday morning. But crews were still working to clear other arterial roads in the region that run north to south.
There were 16,000 utility linemen working to restore power, but even as those recovery efforts are underway, Perdue warned of lingering dangers from Isaias, such as rising rivers that could flood waterways.
“There can still be flooding from rising rivers,” Perdue said, citing the Shoal River in Okaloosa County in particular. “Please do not drive through it … it can wash away your car it can wash away a human; it can be very dangerous very quickly.”
DeSantis previously had said there weren’t any confirmed deaths related to the storm but there was one report of a person killed that hasn’t been officially confirmed. Two urban search and rescue teams remained in the area Saturday.
After the initial recovery will come the longer rebuilding process, which for many residents will likely entail dealing with insurance claims. Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia warned homeowners not to sign contracts with tree removal specialists or other contractors or adjusters until they’ve been vetted. Scammers are looking to take advantage of storm victims, he said.
“They hit 100 houses and then they take off to another state,” Ingoglia said.
He added that his office will set up insurance hubs in the affected region so homeowners can file claims.
But first comes the initial recovery phase of getting the roads cleared and power restored.
“It’s going to be some long days but we’re going to get through this and we’re going to get recovered,” said Perdue.