Share to ClassroomHurricane Isaias Kills Four People in US
Hurricane Isaias hit the Gulf Coast of the United States on Friday night. It killed at least four people, two in Florida and two in Alabama. The storm reached land near Destin, Florida, with winds of 105mph (168km/h) . It tore roofs off buildings and knocked down trees. In Florida, one woman died when a tree fell on her house. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses lost power in Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Isaias was this year's first Atlantic hurricane. According to NPR (National Public Radio) , the first hurricane has not come this late in more than 100 years. A strong weather pattern in the Pacific, called El Niño, made it harder for storms to form. But the water in the Gulf of Mexico is very warm, and warm water gives storms energy. Before the storm, thousands of people had to leave their homes. Florida's leader warned: You hide from the wind, but you run from the water.
Isaias soon became weaker, but the danger did not end. Officials expected flash floods, which are sudden floods after heavy rain, with up to 15 inches of rain in some places. Alabama's leader also warned about tornadoes. In Florida, people were rescued from cars stuck in floodwater. Two more storms were coming from the Pacific Ocean, toward Mexico and southern California.
