Hurricanes & Storms

Florida and Alabama National Guard units mobilized in response to a hurricane that left roughly 800,000 residents without power and caused significant flooding across the Florida Panhandle and surrounding region. At the peak of operations, more than 5,000 Guard members were activated, with Florida moving thousands of Soldiers and Airmen within 36 hours of impact to support 16 affected counties.

Guard members completed over 100 rescue missions, including saving a family from a sinking truck near Tallahassee, while clearing about 4,000 miles of roadway and removing more than 12,500 cubic yards of debris. UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assisted with damage assessments and transport to isolated areas. Alabama activated roughly 500 Soldiers who staged in the state's southern region, though the state saw less severe weather than expected. Officials noted the Emergency Management Assistance Compact remains available for additional interstate support, while other military units, including the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing and the Army Corps of Engineers, assisted with reconnaissance and flood-risk monitoring.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, has introduced legislation to create a FEMA grant program providing $100 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to help colleges and universities prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies. The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Florida, comes after Hurricanes Katrina, Ida and Irma caused major disruptions at universities in Louisiana and Florida.

Individual grants would range from $250,000 to $5 million, which institutions could use to fund emergency management personnel, update emergency plans, or build emergency operations and refuge centers. FEMA would be required to report to Congress after three years on how the funds were used and their effectiveness.

Carter and Moskowitz, co-chairs of the Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Caucus, said colleges face overlapping risks from extreme weather to campus shootings and need dedicated resources to keep students safe. As a national competitive program, funding would not be guaranteed for any specific state, though a Carter spokesperson said Louisiana schools are among the intended applicants.

Heavy rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Isaias triggered five landslides and partially washed out roads in McDowell County, North Carolina, overnight. McDowell County Emergency Management reported the Woodlawn area saw the worst damage after more than six inches of rain fell in the area.

The Woodlawn-Sevier Volunteer Fire Department responded to a steady string of slides through the night, checking new sites roughly every half hour to an hour. Officials said no one was injured or trapped, and all roads remained open except one. No personal property was destroyed.

Crews said the response felt routine compared to the destruction left by Hurricane Helene, with one firefighter describing the overnight work as manageable rather than an emergency. The Shiflet Marion McDowell Airfield also faced a scare as floodwaters approached hangars, though the airport manager said major damage was avoided. The storm underscores the region's continued vulnerability to flooding and landslides following previous severe weather events.

Florida and California each faced tropical weather at the same time, prompting comparisons between the two states' preparation and response. Florida's Gulf Coast panhandle was hit by Hurricane Isaias, a Category 2 storm, with Gov. Ron DeSantis having spent weeks coordinating federal resources, issuing public safety guidance, and warning against looting ahead of landfall.

Meanwhile, California faced a rare tropical system, downgraded to Tropical Storm Rachel before reportedly regaining strength, headed toward San Diego. Some coastal areas north of San Diego, including flood-prone stretches of Newport Beach, saw coastal flooding even before the storm's peak. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office issued only a brief statement, with critics arguing there was little visible preparation compared to Florida's response.

The California storm was expected to intensify through the weekend. Commentators noted the contrast in gubernatorial communication and emergency planning between the two states, framing it as a test case for differing approaches to disaster readiness as both storms play out.