4 dead, hundreds of thousands without power after Hurricane Isaias lands in US Florida

At least four people were killed Saturday after Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin in the U.S. state of Florida as a dangerous Category 2 storm, weakening to a post-tropical cyclone, according to local authorities.

The victims include two people killed by falling trees in Florida and Alabama, officials said.

The storm struck Friday with maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (169 kph), bringing heavy rain, powerful winds and a storm surge to a large swath of Florida and causing severe waterlogging.

Hundreds of thousands of customers remained without power across the region as of Saturday. Data from utility tracker PowerOutage.us showed that nearly 670,000 customers in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi were still without electricity by midday.

"We don't have power, don't have internet, but the power didn't go out till about nine. We do have water, which was going to be a big concern. We didn't have any water intrusion, those storm surge, just trees down, limbs down, things like that," said Andy Schultz, a Florida Panhandle resident.

"I feel fine, you know, and I am just walking the beach, you know, my house is fine. Just a little bit of debris, no trees down or anything like that. So, I'm just very thankful that, you know, there was not too much damage, but I'm OK," said Cynthia West, another local resident.

Isaias is forecast to continue weakening as it moves inland this weekend. But as hazardous conditions remain and storm surges, flash flooding, damaging winds and a risk of tornadoes across parts of the U.S. Southeast are expected, the National Hurricane Center said.

Recovery efforts have begun along the Gulf Coast as Isaias has spread damage across several states.

Businesses, roads and airports are reopening in affected areas, but new flooding could still occur in the next couple of days, Florida officials said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.

Downed trees and debris are still contributing to widespread power outages in the region.

4 dead, hundreds of thousands without power after Hurricane Isaias lands in US Florida

Panama declared a state of emergency on Saturday to coordinate relief efforts and assist communities affected by a powerful earthquake that struck the country Friday.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Panama at 12:56 local time Friday, with its epicenter about 39 km northwest of Tonosi in Los Santos province, damaging homes, schools, health facilities, roads and public buildings across several parts of the country.

The quake has left 27 people injured as of present, according to Panama's National Civil Protection System.

Presidency Minister Juan Carlos Orillac told a press conference at the presidential palace that the declaration would ensure government agencies remain on standby and have the resources needed to assist those affected.

Orillac said President Jose Raul Mulino had ordered the creation of a commission to coordinate relief operations, manage resources and address the needs of affected communities.

The government has also set up donation collection centers, including one at Omar Park in Panama City, while provincial government offices will serve as additional collection points, he said.

Panamanian authorities continue to assess the damage and coordinate emergency response efforts.

Panama declares state of emergency after powerful quake