Hurricane Isaias kills four people in the US — BBC News

Four people have died in the southern US states as a result of Hurricane Isaias, while at least 600,000 people have been left without electricity. Two deaths each were recorded in Florida and Alabama, BBC News reports.

Deaths and consequences of the severe weather

The hurricane made landfall in Florida late on Friday evening with maximum sustained wind speeds of 168 km/h. It was later reclassified as a post-tropical cyclone. The severe weather knocked down trees and damaged residential buildings.

In Escambia County, Florida, a woman died after a tree fell on her home. Sheriff Chip Simmons also reported the death of a man from carbon monoxide poisoning: he had been using a generator in a garage without proper ventilation. Four other people who were in the same house were taken to hospital.

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During the flooding, rescuers freed people from vehicles inundated by water. The Florida National Guard said that service members swam to a truck stuck in a flooded ditch and brought its passengers to safety.

Evacuation and flood threat

Alabama, Florida and Georgia declared states of emergency ahead of the approaching storm. Mandatory evacuation orders were introduced for thousands of people in Florida and Alabama. In Alabama, a tree fell on a sheriff and injured him while he was responding to a traffic accident. State Governor Kay Ivey said authorities were also concerned about possible tornadoes due to strong winds and heavy rain.

In Charleston, South Carolina, residents were urged to stay home because of an expected tide of up to 2.3 metres. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned that up to 25 centimetres of precipitation could fall in the Carolinas and Georgia, potentially causing flooding. The cyclone is expected to weaken as it moves northeastward.