55 Waffle Houses Closed as Isaias Makes Landfall
Isaias hits near Destin with 105 mph winds, leaving more than 594,000 utility customers without power in Florida and Alabama
TL;DR: Isaias made landfall near Destin Friday night as a Category 2 hurricane. Flooding, damaging winds and overnight tornado threats continued as the storm moved inland.
Across the Gulf Coast, even Waffle House closed its doors.
55 of the popular chain’s Florida Panhandle restaurants shut down ahead of Hurricane Isaias, a telling sign for Southerners who know how rarely those lights go out. The closures put the region’s familiar storm gauge — the Waffle House Index — firmly in the danger zone.
Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, around 8:30 p.m. Central Friday, Oct. 9, with sustained winds of 105 mph. The National Hurricane Center placed it at Category 2, down from Category 3 earlier Friday. It was moving north at 19 mph.
The drop in strength offered little comfort along the coast. The hurricane center reported water levels 5.6 feet above mean higher high water at Panama City Beach — a rough measure of flooding there. ABC News reported storm surge forecasts reaching 9 feet along parts of the Florida Panhandle.
More than 594,000 utility customers in Florida and Alabama were without power Friday evening, the Associated Press reported, citing PowerOutage.us. That count covers customer accounts, including homes and businesses, rather than individual people. Flooding hit southern Alabama, while Mobile officials reported fallen trees and power lines.
The danger now moves inland. The National Hurricane Center has forecast a northward track overnight, with the heaviest rain across the Florida Panhandle, southeastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia. Some Panhandle locations could receive up to 15 inches. Heavy rain and severe storms will spread into Georgia and the Carolinas Saturday, with the remnants expected to reach the Mid-Atlantic Sunday and the southern Northeast Sunday night.
Parts of southeastern Alabama, southern Georgia and northern Florida remained under a tornado watch until 6 a.m. Saturday. Forecasters urged residents to keep weather alerts on overnight and have more than one way to receive warnings. Flooding and damaging gusts can continue as the storm weakens.
Alabama had already taken steps to clear its beaches. Governor Kay Ivey ordered visitors and non-residents to leave Dauphin Island and areas south of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Baldwin County, including Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Her emergency proclamation covers 40 Counties. State offices in nine southern Counties closed at noon Friday.
The storm also changed President Donald Trump’s weekend plans. He canceled his trip to Tuscaloosa for the Alabama–Georgia game, saying he did not want to disrupt the emergency response.
The game itself remained scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central Saturday. The University of Alabama’s gameday page says campus parking and shuttles will begin at noon, weather permitting. Tailgating is barred before noon, and only uncovered tailgating will be allowed afterward. Fans should check for further changes before heading to campus.
