GULF BREEZE, Fla. (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle were without power early Saturday after Isaias crashed into the U.S. Gulf Coast as a dangerous hurricane and left flooded roads and downed trees in its wake as it moved inland.
The storm made landfall Friday as a Category 2 hurricane, then quickly moved north through Alabama as its wind speeds dropped sharply. But the possibility of life-threatening storm surges still loomed for parts of the Florida Panhandle, along with heavy rain and potential flooding for much of the Southeast over the weekend.
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This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
People sit outside an evacuation shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jim McKenzie looks out over an empty beach as the effects of Isaias keep beachgoers away on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on Mon Louis Island, Ala.(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
An American flag flaps in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias on an empty beach on Friday, Oct. 9, loom overhead on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Mon Louis Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Forecasters also warned that conditions could stir up tornadoes across parts of the Florida Panhandle and into Georgia and the Carolinas.
Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, as the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. Hurricane-force winds lashed the Gulf shoreline in the low-lying coastal area known for powdery white-sand beaches dotted with vacation homes, waterfront bars, and seafood shacks.
“The storm is here. Buckle down at this point. Don’t be getting out on the roads,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Friday.
Roads in Destin were flooded, while in nearby Pensacola, police warned residents to stay off the streets because of debris across roadways. While the extent of the damage was not immediately known, many area residents posted pictures online of downed trees and power lines, and one social media video showed a roof being ripped off an inn in Pensacola.
Some Panhandle counties temporarily suspended emergency response Friday night because of dangerous conditions.
Parts of southern Alabama also were flooded, with officials in Mobile reporting downed trees and power lines. Roads in Houston County, which is in the southeastern corner of the state, were closed because of similar conditions.
More than 726,000 customers in Florida and Alabama were without power early Saturday, according to poweroutage.com.
Tim Mowry, who rode out the storm from his home in Pensacola, said the wind was so intense it sounded like a train whistle as it whipped through a crack in his patio door. He lost power around 4:30 p.m. but was able to rely on a generator. Standing water also covered his backyard, and parts of his fence were ripped down, but overall he said the storm wasn’t as bad as he expected.
“As far as Pensacola-wise, we really got fortunate,” Mowry said.
Mowry said his son, who lives about 15 minutes away, tried to drive to his home after losing power but had to turn around because downed trees and power lines blocked the roads.
Despite weakening, heavy rain is forecast as Isaias moves inland, with 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) or even more expected through the weekend from southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, and southwest Georgia.
Isaias, the first hurricane to hit the eastern U.S. since Milton tore up the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2024, is also expected to bring heavy rain and potential flooding to much of the Southeast over the weekend, then to parts of the Midwest and Northeast into Monday.
The storm also grounded most Friday flights at several panhandle airports, including all flights into and out of Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, scrapped his plans to attend Saturday’s football game between the University of Georgia and the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. He said he didn’t want to disrupt emergency response efforts.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Simon strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane as it approached Mexico’s coast.
Tropical Storm Rachel was also expected to bring heavy winds and rain to northern Mexico and Southern California over the weekend.
Megnien reported from Panama City, Florida, Golden reported from Seattle, and Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Seth Borenstein and Collin Binkley in Washington; Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Gerald Herbert in Pensacola, Florida; Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; and Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas contributed to this report.
This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 1:06 p.m. EDT, Friday, Oct. 9 2026, shows Hurricane Isaias approaching the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida . (NOAA via AP)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
People sit outside an evacuation shelter as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jason Coffey boards up a convenience store at a gas station as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Jim McKenzie looks out over an empty beach as the effects of Isaias keep beachgoers away on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, on Mon Louis Island, Ala.(AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
An American flag flaps in the wind generated by the effects of Isaias on an empty beach on Friday, Oct. 9, loom overhead on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, in Mon Louis Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian authorities deployed a sweeping security crackdown across New Delhi and detained thousands of protesters Saturday as India's youth “Cockroach” movement sought to intensify a nationwide campaign against a contentious voter list revision that has fueled anger at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government and election authorities.
Police intercepted demonstrators before they could reach Jantar Mantar, the designated protest site in the heart of India's capital, chasing off some and detaining many others. Some were dragged away before being bundled into police vehicles and taken to temporary detention centers. Several “Cockroach” movement leaders were detained before arriving, effectively crippling the protest ahead of its start.
The crackdown extended beyond the protest venue, with police stopping buses, cars and other vehicles at checkpoints on routes into the capital and searching for demonstrators.
Jantar Mantar was barricaded, while anti-riot vehicles equipped with tear gas launchers were stationed along key routes. Restrictions on mobile internet and access to parts of the city added to the hurdles facing protesters.
Police said Friday they had denied permission for the protest because the request was submitted late.
The scale of the crackdown underscored the authorities’ determination to disrupt a fast-growing protest campaign that has mobilized thousands of young people, drawn opposition support and intensified scrutiny of Modi. The protests also come at a politically sensitive time, months after demonstrations led by the “Cockroach” movement over exam paper leaks forced Modi’s education minister to resign in July.
Leaders of the “Cockroach” movement Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, who were expected to be at the forefront of the protest, were detained after arriving at Delhi airport from Mumbai on Saturday. A video shared by the “Cockroach Janta Party” on X showed police boarding the aircraft and detaining the three men.
“The pre-planned interception by Delhi Police aims to cripple the leadership of today’s peaceful demonstrations before they even reach the protest site,” the movement said in a statement.
Loudspeakers around the protest site warned that gatherings of five or more people were banned in parts of New Delhi, as authorities imposed sweeping security restrictions rarely seen in the capital. Journalists also faced restrictions in some areas.
Some protesters nevertheless broke through police cordons, chanting slogans against Modi and election authorities before being detained.
“We are a democracy, yet peaceful protests are being crushed by force. Shouldn’t we fight for our rights,” said Tanya Negi, a college student who traveled from Mumbai with two friends and arrived early Saturday. “Why is Modi afraid of India’s young people?”
The crackdown drew criticism from opposition leaders, who accused the government of curbing dissent.
“Is there a democracy in this country? A total siege over the city. Citizens are being driven out,” opposition lawmaker John Brittas told The Associated Press.
The protests center on India's Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision, which the opposition says has disenfranchised millions of eligible voters. Protesters demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and an end to the change, which has removed more than 130 million names from voter lists so far.
The Election Commission and the government reject allegations of voter manipulation, saying the revision is intended to eliminate duplicate and ineligible entries.
The dispute has become a rallying point for opposition parties seeking to challenge Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Saturday's planned demonstration follows days of protests in the Indian capital where opposition lawmakers also stepped up their campaign, with Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi being briefly detained by police.
Gandhi and other opposition leaders have accused the commission of conducting the voter revision in a way that benefits Modi’s party. The opposition says voters more likely to support its parties have been disproportionately affected by the removals, while supporters of the BJP have been spared or added to the lists.
The commission and the government deny the allegations.
For the “Cockroach” movement, the voter list dispute offers an opportunity to broaden its campaign.
The movement began online in May and gained prominence through demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes over alleged exam paper leaks. Those protests culminated in the resignation of Modi’s education minister in July, a rare political setback for a prime minister who has maintained a firm hold on national power for more than 12 years.
For Modi, the protests pose a challenge midway through his third term, though their political impact remains unclear. National elections are not due until 2029, but state elections next year in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and Gujarat, Modi’s home state, will test the party’s standing.
Associated Press journalists Shonal Ganguly in New Delhi and Aniruddha Ghosal in Hanoi, Vietnam, contributed to this report.
Security personnel assemble near the venue of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Shonal Ganguly)
Delhi police personnel check identity papers of commuters as security is tightened on the morning of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo)
An armored vehicle with a banner warning citizens against unlawful gathering stands near the venue of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Security personnel assemble near the venue of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Security personnel assemble near the venue of a youth protest demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Supporters shouting slogans are reflected in the window of a bus carrying India's opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi and fellow lawmakers during a march demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Security personnel keep vigil from the rooftop of a building as members of the student wing of India's Congress party and other protesters gather to start a march demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A motorcyclist drives past security personnel guarding as members of the student wing of India's Congress party and other protesters march demanding the resignation of the country's election chief Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Socialist, left-wing parties and student activists shout slogans as police detain them during a protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and calling for the suspension of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in New Delhi, India, Friday, Oct. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
