Florida Hurricane Isaias death toll rises to six

The death toll in Florida from Hurricane Isaias has risen to six, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced during a news conference Tuesday. The updated count follows reports of two additional deaths: a woman killed when a tree fell on her home in Escambia County and a man who died from carbon monoxide poisoning after improperly using a generator.

Breakdown of Fatalities

Gov. DeSantis described the newly announced deaths as occurring "a little bit more post-storm" and being "attenuated from the storm." He explained the state's methodology for counting storm-related fatalities.

"The way Florida has typically done this is it's not just if the storm knocks over your house and somebody gets killed, they kind of link anything that is even a fallout of the storm," Gov. DeSantis said.

The governor detailed the causes of the four additional deaths linked to the storm:

• A "tragic accident" involving a falling tree during cleanup.
• One death in a car accident at an intersection where the traffic light was out.
• Two deaths resulting from disruptions to medical treatment.

Prior to this update, two deaths had been confirmed by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Chip Simmons stated that a woman was killed when a tree fell on her home, injuring her husband, and a man died of carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator running in a closed garage.

Recovery and Power Restoration

Hurricane Isaias, a Category 2 storm, made landfall near Destin on the Gulf Coast around 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday. The storm brought destructive wind gusts reaching 118 mph, heavy rain, and storm surge that devastated communities along the Panhandle.

Recovery efforts are shifting from immediate response to debris removal and damage assessments. Gov. DeSantis said about 95% of customers who lost power during the storm had been restored. The storm left more than 400,000 Florida customers without power at one point during landfall on Oct. 9.

According to PowerOutage.com, over 20,000 customers remained without power Wednesday morning, primarily in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. In Escambia County alone, initial damage assessments estimate approximately $64 million in costs for county repairs, emergency response, and recovery efforts.

Impact in Alabama

Two additional storm-related deaths were reported in Alabama. One person was killed when a tree fell onto a Birmingham home. Another person was killed in a motor vehicle crash involving a downed tree in Barbour County, according to authorities there. Details surrounding the second Alabama death were not immediately available.

Why it matters

The rising death toll highlights the dangers that persist after a hurricane makes landfall, including hazards during cleanup, carbon monoxide poisoning from generators, and the impact of power outages on medical care. The state's approach to counting these "post-storm" deaths reflects a broader definition of storm-related fatalities that includes indirect causes.

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Sources

• nypost.com: Hurricane Isaias Florida death toll rises to 6 killed from storm
• foxweather.com: Hurricane Isaias death toll rises to 6 in Florida as recovery continues | Fox Weather
• theguardian.com: Florida officials say six people dead from Hurricane Isaias | US weather | The Guardian
• floridaphoenix.com: DeSantis says Florida Isaias death toll reaches six; thousands still without power • Florida Phoenix
• patch.com: FL Death Toll From Hurricane Isaias Rises To 6, DeSantis Says | Across Florida, FL Patch

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.