The remnants of Hurricane Isaias brought heavy rainfall and significant flooding to Western North Carolina on Sunday, causing rivers to overflow and raising the risk of flash and urban flooding across the region. Local emergency responders dealt with rescues and voluntary evacuations as streams surged past their banks, particularly in Burke and McDowell counties.
In Burke County, floodwaters from the Catawba River caught an unhoused male and female, along with their dog, by surprise while they were camping. They were subsequently rescued, according to a spokesperson for the county emergency management agency. Separately, outside of Morganton, a woman found herself trapped inside her car due to floodwaters and was also freed.
Neighboring McDowell County, just west of Burke, experienced further disruptions. First responders in McDowell County reported dealing with five landslides overnight Saturday into Sunday. They also responded to numerous flooded roads and streams that had overflowed their banks, leading to voluntary evacuations in some areas.
Torrential rainfall totals were recorded across McDowell County, with nearly a dozen local weather stations reporting significant precipitation over a 24-hour period. Measurements ranged from approximately 5 inches (13 centimeters) to as much as 9.57 inches (24 centimeters), specifically at the fire/rescue station in Enola. The National Weather Service indicated that while rainfall was diminishing in the area, the potential for rapid river rises and continued flooding remained.
Beyond the immediate flooding concerns, the National Weather Service also warned of possible tornadoes in parts of Virginia and North Carolina. Dangerous surf and rip current conditions were also noted along the Gulf and southeastern Atlantic coasts as part of the storm's broader impact.
Hurricane Isaias, which was the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane on Friday near Destin, Florida, a Gulf Coast vacation spot. The storm then roared into Alabama with tropical-force winds before continuing its path farther north.
At least four deaths were linked to Isaias. In Florida's Escambia County, a woman was killed by a falling tree, and a man died from carbon monoxide fumes from a garage generator. In Alabama, one person died when a tree fell on a house in Birmingham, according to the city's fire chief. A second storm-related death in Alabama was attributed to a motor vehicle crash involving a downed tree in Barbour County, as reported by the state's emergency management agency.
Hurricane-force winds in the Florida Panhandle caused considerable damage, blowing the roof off a Pensacola hotel and flattening a boathouse in Destin. Part of the facade of a high-rise in Panama City Beach was also ripped away. The aftermath also saw about 226,000 customers in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama without power by Sunday evening. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed an expectation that power would be restored to nearly everyone by Tuesday night. Efforts to distribute supplies, such as water and cleaning items, were underway in Pensacola, with hundreds of cars lining up for assistance.
