Hurricane Isaias hits Florida, ending the Atlantic's quietest season start in 121 years

Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin, Florida, on the evening of October 9 local time as a Category 2 storm, after peaking at Category 3 at sea, Reuters reports.

Isaias broke a 121-year-old record: no Atlantic season since 1905 had waited so long for its first hurricane. Until September 22 the Atlantic had gone without a hurricane longer than in any season in 112 years.

Hitting the coast

The strongest gust, 117 mph, was measured at Oriole Beach. Storm surge reached 5.51 feet at Panama City Beach and 8.06 inches of rain fell in Niceville. Twenty-three tornadoes were reported in Georgia and the Carolinas. According to AccuWeather, up to 930,000 customers lost power, and the death toll had risen to at least six by October 14.

About 69 percent of US Gulf of Mexico oil output was shut in, and the US released up to 4 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.