Four dead and thousands without power after Hurricane Isaias lashes US

What the report says

Four people have died and hundreds of thousands lost electricity after Hurricane Isaias struck parts of the southern United States, according to BBC World News. The storm came ashore in Florida late Friday with sustained winds reported at up to 105 mph before weakening to a post-tropical cyclone. The article says the hardest-hit areas included Florida, Alabama and Georgia, where officials had already declared states of emergency and ordered some evacuations ahead of the storm.

BBC World News reported two deaths in Florida and two in Alabama. In Escambia County, one person was killed when a tree fell on a house, and another death was linked to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator used in an improperly ventilated garage. Officials also said floodwaters trapped people in vehicles, prompting rescues by emergency crews and Florida National Guard members. Poweroutage.us was cited as showing more than 600,000 customers without power across several states by Saturday afternoon.

The storm also brought warnings of continued flooding and possible tornadoes as it moved north-east. South Carolina officials urged residents in Charleston to stay indoors because of expected high tide and low visibility after dark. More broadly, the report places Isaias within an active Atlantic hurricane season and notes that additional tropical weather was affecting other parts of the Americas at the same time.