January 1, Isaias Slams Florida Panhandle With 100-Plus MPH Winds

Wyatt’s Take

• Isaias made landfall in the Florida Panhandle exactly two years to the hour after the last hurricane hit the United States.
• Residents lost power, trees fell, and homes took damage as the storm roared ashore with over 100 mile an hour winds.
• The back-to-back timing raises fresh questions about how prepared federal agencies really are for storms that keep showing up on the same calendar date.

The first hurricane in two years to make landfall on U.S. soil hit the Florida Panhandle Friday night with over 100 mile an hour winds as Isaias downed trees, damaged buildings, and cut power to nearly a half million residents.

Video from the coast showed palm trees bent sideways and rain blowing sideways across darkened streets.

Local officials ordered evacuations in low-lying areas hours before the eye came ashore.

Utility crews were already staged in neighboring states waiting for the storm to pass so they could begin restoring service.

Wyatt Matters

Hard-working families in the Panhandle have learned the hard way that government promises mean little when the lights go out and the roads are blocked. Neighbors helping neighbors still beats waiting for Washington to send help that may never come.