On the night of October 9, Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm. By the next morning, its wind and rain had torn through South Alabama, downing trees and power lines from Mobile Bay to the Wiregrass and impacting communities from the bottom to the top of our state. Hundreds of thousands of Alabamians lost power. Some lost much more.
Isaias was the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season, and it arrived late, in October. It was a reminder that hurricane season isn't over until it's over, and that a storm's reach doesn't stop at the coastline.
Damage far from the beach
Some of the hardest-hit communities were more than 100 miles inland. In rural Conecuh County, the storm leveled barns, stripped roofs, and snapped timber. Nearly the entire county lost power. Local volunteer fire departments became distribution points, and volunteer groups served hot meals to neighbors who had no way to cook.
For many families, the most immediate problem wasn't the roof. It was the refrigerator. When the power goes out for days, a week's worth of groceries can be lost overnight, and replacing it comes on top of repair bills, missed work, and other recovery costs.
How the network responded
Before the outerbands of the storm hit our state, the Feeding Alabama network was coordinating resources and remained in constant communication with Feeding America and Alabama EMA. The Feeding Alabama network moved quickly once the storm passed, working with county and state leaders to get disaster boxes and water to impacted counties. Feeding the Gulf Coast, Feeding Alabama's member food bank serving South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, moved quickly once it was safe. Teams took their work on the road, setting up distribution sites and delivering food, water, and emergency supplies directly to hard-hit neighborhoods. In the two weeks after landfall, Feeding the Gulf Coast distributed more than 1.4 million pounds of food, water, and essential supplies across the region. Churches, community groups, and local first responders partnered to get help to families who couldn't travel far, especially in rural areas where blocked roads and spotty cell service made outreach harder. The response was possible because preparation started long before the storm. The Feeding America network staged emergency supplies across the Southeast ahead of landfall, so food banks could move them where they were needed as soon as roads opened.
Recovery takes longer than the storm
The lights are back on for most of South Alabama, but recovery isn't finished. Families are still replacing food, repairing homes, and catching up on bills. As the holidays approach, those costs add up.
If you're still recovering from Isaias and need food, help is available:
- South Alabama: Find pantries and distributions at feedingthegulfcoast.org. Call ahead, since schedules may shift.
- Anywhere in Alabama: Find your local food bank at feedingalabama.org.
Five ways to be ready for severe weather
Hurricane season officially ends November 30, but severe weather doesn’t stop there. Alabama’s secondary tornado season typically runs through the late fall and winter months, making now a good time to make sure your household is prepared.
Here are five simple steps you can take:
1. Know where you’ll go.
Choose the safest place in your home before severe weather strikes. Ideally, that’s a basement, storm shelter, or small interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows.
2. Keep emergency food and water on hand.
Have at least three days of water and shelf-stable food available in case storms cause extended power outages or make roads unsafe.
3. Build a grab-and-go emergency kit.
Include flashlights, extra batteries, medications, a first-aid kit, phone chargers or a portable power bank, and a battery-powered weather radio.
4. Make sure you can receive weather alerts.
Enable emergency alerts on your phone and have another way to receive warnings if cell service or power goes down. Know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning.
5. Protect important information.
Keep copies of IDs, insurance documents, benefit information, emergency contacts, and other important records together in a waterproof bag or container.
Preparing now can make it easier to act quickly when severe weather is in the forecast.
Help us stay ready
When the next storm comes, Alabama's food banks will be there again. That readiness is built all year by donors, volunteers, and community partners who make it possible to load trucks before landfall and keep them rolling afterward.
To support recovery and help your local food bank prepare for the next emergency, visit feedingalabama.org. Thank you for standing with your neighbors, through every storm and every season.