Life-threatening Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in Florida

Life-threatening Hurricane Isaias has come ashore in Florida, bringing with it the danger of deadly flooding and winds that have prompted thousands to leave their homes.

The storm had weakened slightly to a Category 2 hurricane, with winds of 110 mph (175 kph), before striking Florida’s western panhandle on Friday evening.

Florida, Alabama and Georgia each declared states of emergency as meteorologists warned of a life-threatening storm surge that could produce as much as 9 feet (2.7m) of flooding in some places.

Isaias is one of three storm systems affecting North America this weekend, with the other two hitting Mexico and Southern California in the El Niño-fuelled warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Both Florida and Alabama ordered mandatory evacuations because of the storm.

In Florida, those evacuations include coastal communities directly in the path of the powerful system. Florida Senator Rick Scott urged residents in designated areas to leave as soon as possible, warning in a social media post: "DO NOT WAIT! Get out NOW!"

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey issued a mandatory evacuation for all non-residents, tourists and visitors in key counties likely to be heavily impacted by the storm.

Hurricane Isaias is the first hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has largely been delayed because of El Niño conditions in the Pacific.

It is the first time in more than 30 years that a hurricane has not formed until October.

The National Hurricane Center warned that the storm is likely to bring "life-threatening storm surge" to the US Gulf Coast.

After striking Florida, the centre of Isaias is expected to move across Alabama and into the Tennessee Valley on Saturday and Sunday, the National Weather Service said late on Friday.

By Friday evening, hurricane-force winds extended up to 35 miles (55 km) from Isaias’ centre, while tropical storm-force winds reached as far as 205 miles (335 km).

The Florida Panhandle and the rest of the US Gulf Coast are facing strong winds and heavy rain as the hurricane moves in. Melissa Watson, a Florida-based meteorologist at the National Weather Service, told the BBC there is also the possibility of tornadoes.

For those who have not evacuated, "the main thing will be having multiple ways to receive warnings" about tornadoes and storm surges, Watson said. "If you are near the coast, being able to move to higher ground," is also essential in the event of storm surges.

"We want people to be safe, so don't go out there trying to look for damage ... to post on social media," she added. "We want people to remain inside and safe while the hurricane is moving through."

Even before landfall, hundreds of thousands were without power in the southeast of the country, and Alabama, Florida and Georgia had issued states of emergency as they prepared for heavy rain and flooding.

More than 350,000 people were without electricity in Florida and another 170,000 in Alabama, according to PowerOutage.us.

The hurricane’s winds are expected to be felt farther inland in Georgia, though less intensely, where about 8,000 customers were already without power.

People on the coast of the Florida panhandle have been told to seek immediate shelter under an "Extreme Wind Warning".

Some Florida officials have ordered residents to "Get out NOW!", urging people to obey evacuation orders.

John Guoth, a resident of Navarre, Florida, told the BBC that he and his wife will stay in their home even though the rest of his street has already left.

"It's a hurricane, we get them all the time... we kind of knew that when we moved here," he said.

"Pretty much everything that can fly and will fly is battened down, and everything that cannot fly is really, really secured," he said,

Guoth said he put his ducks and chickens in the bathroom and weighed down his boats and trailers so "nothing flips over".

A few households have stayed in the area, describing themselves as "long-term locals" who are "going to protect our homes".

Pensacola resident Brandin Ruth told the BBC that they have been turning off gas to buildings, icing down product and trying to get team members home.

People in the Florida city have "seen bad storms before" but are "bunkering up", he said, adding: "You don't want to underestimate a storm like this".

One sign of a storm’s seriousness in southern US communities is whether the well-known restaurant chain The Waffle House closes its doors to customers. On Friday, it did.

A Waffle House spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that the chain had already shut a number of locations in the hurricane’s path and "will continue monitoring conditions".

US President Donald Trump said he would no longer attend a major American football college game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama because of the hurricane, and would instead shift plans to attend a rally in Tennessee.

Two other storms are also forecast to hit North America this weekend.

Hurricane Simon is moving toward the Pacific coast of Mexico as a Category 1 hurricane. According to Reuters, it is expected to gain speed and strengthen to Category 4 by Saturday, before eventually making landfall near Puerto Vallarta on Sunday.

Farther north, Tropical Storm Rachel, a downgraded hurricane, is heading toward landfall near the US-Mexico border along the Pacific.

While Rachel is expected to reach the coast late on Saturday, the storm’s effects are already being felt because of high tides in southern California.

Video footage and photos show several streets underwater in Newport Beach, California, due to a combination of tropical storm swells at sea and high tide.

Posting on its account on X, the City of Newport Beach advised people to "avoid the Balboa Peninsula due to street flooding caused by recent storm conditions and elevated tides".

It also urged people not to drive through flooded streets. Bulldozers have been reinforcing the beach in an effort to prevent further flooding.