Hurricane Isaias Trashed Florida Panhandle, Wind, Storm Surge Damage Widespread

Hurricane Isaias ripping off the roof of 
a hotel Saturday evening. 

People in the Florida Panhandle and in Alabama have started picking up the mess left by Hurricane Isaias. 

So far, at least four people have been reported dead in the storm. 

The hurricane came ashore around Destin, Florida at around 8 p.m. with top winds of 105 mph. As of this morning, streets were littered with debris, roofing material, fallen trees and wires. Many of those streets were also flooded.. 

Winds gusted to 118 mph in Jay, Florida, 117 mph at Oriole Beach, Florida and 116 mph in Santa Rosa Sound and 114 mph in Milton, Florida

Those gusts were caused by a sting jet, which occurred when drier air ran into an abrupt western edge of the hurricane. That dry air caused rapidly sinking evaporated cool air to rush downward from atop the storm down onto these communities.  

The storm sure was about five feet, a little short of the six to nine feet forecasters had anticipated. That's good news for sure. Isaias arrived a couple hours before high tide, which helped minimize the surge. 

Still, storm surges caused damage in Destin, Fort Walton Beach and other seaside communities. 

It could have all been even worse. Strong upper level winds - thanks El Nino - ripped apart the core of Isaias just as it neared the shoreline. This prevented the hurricane from intensifying more before reaching Florida and Alabama. 

As of early Saturday nearly 900,000 customers in Florida and Alabama had no electricity. 

Isaias was the first Atlantic hurricane of the season. It has been more than 100 years since the Atlantic got its first hurricane this late in the season. Strong upper level winds caused by El Nino has torn apart and destroyed tropical storms that have tried to form so far this year. 

The remnants of Isaias were moving into the Appalachian Mountains Sunday afternoon. At least one tornado touched down in South Carolina, and the area was under threat for more twisters. 

Gusty winds and flood watches continued in parts of the Southeast, too.

Here in Vermont, rainfall from the remnants of Isaias will range from maybe three quarters of an inch in far southern parts of the state to less than a tenth an inch near the Canadian border. In between, central Vermont should see a quarter to a half inch, give or take. At least that's what forecasts issued Sunday afternoon suggest. 

The rain should come through Sunday night.