The morning edition

Panhandle recovery begins after Isaias, and FPL aims to restore 95% of its customers by end of day Monday

Sunday, October 11, 2026

Sunday, October 11, 2026

Good Morning! Apollo 7 lifted off from Launch Complex 34 at Cape Canaveral at 11:02 a.m. on Oct. 11, 1968, carrying Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele and Walt Cunningham. It was the first crewed Apollo mission and the first three-person American crew, and it sent down the first live TV from an American spacecraft. Schirra reported, "She is riding like a dream," and just over 10 minutes after launch Apollo 7 reached orbit.

In This Issue: the Panhandle beginning to recover from Isaias, a federal emergency declaration for 27 counties, a Miami nonprofit sending supplies and volunteers to Pensacola and downtown Orlando drivers balking at doubled parking rates. Plus: what Largo's budget could look like under Amendment 3, a $41.1 million sale of a troubled St. Pete complex, a St. Pete startup planning offshore rocket launches, South Carolina's upset in the Swamp and a Delray Beach volunteer's weekly meal route.

Weather: The Panhandle dries out under sunshine Sunday, though NWS forecasters say significant river flooding in the western Panhandle will crest through Sunday. Showers and storms are possible from Jacksonville and Gainesville to Tampa Bay, Southwest Florida and the Keys, with highs from 83° to 89°. (NWS)

Tropical: Isaias, which made landfall near Destin at about 9:30 p.m. EDT Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds, is now a post-tropical cyclone over northern Alabama near the Tennessee line, with 25 mph winds moving northeast at 16 mph, and no Florida tropical warnings remain. NHC says tropical cyclone formation is not expected in the Atlantic during the next 7 days, and Florida’s state of emergency remains in effect for 27 counties (Executive Order 26-211). (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: High rip current risk Sunday along the entire Panhandle (through Sunday afternoon in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa and through late Sunday night from Walton through Franklin), on the Gulf coast from Levy through Lee and in Palm Beach County; Panhandle high surf advisories expired Saturday evening. The risk is moderate from Nassau through Martin and in Broward, Miami-Dade and Collier. (NWS)

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Isaias Hits Near Destin, Leaving About 430,000 Without Power as Panhandle Recovery Begins

NHC said Isaias made landfall near Destin around 8:30 p.m. CDT Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. It is now a weakening post-tropical system over Alabama. The Escambia County Sheriff's Office reported two deaths, spokeswoman Morgan Lewis said: one person was pinned under a tree inside a home, and a man was found in a closed garage with a running generator. Four family members were taken to the hospital for non-life-threatening treatment. DeSantis said bridges and major highways were open, though smaller roads still had debris. He called the damage "very surmountable."

State officials said more than 430,000 customers were still without power Saturday morning, about 325,000 of them in FPL's territory, and that nearly 10,000 accounts had been restored. FPL said Saturday night it aims to restore 95% of affected customers by end of day Monday. It had restored more than 98,000 customers in the Panhandle, but 291,240 were still out across eight counties. More than 16,000 workers from 29 states are on the job. Other recovery updates:

Airports: Northwest Florida Beaches International has reopened, and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport reopened Saturday "effective immediately," though flight schedules have changed. Pensacola International's terminals were still closed as of Saturday afternoon.
Flooding: emergency management chief Jared Perdue warned that rivers including the Shoal River in Okaloosa County are still rising and won't crest for days.

Trump Approves a Federal Emergency Declaration for 27 Florida Counties as the State Opens Insurance Hubs and Warns of Scams

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Florida late Friday, FEMA announced. It frees federal equipment and resources for Hurricane Isaias in 27 Panhandle, Big Bend and North Florida counties, from Baker and Bay to Wakulla and Washington. Emergency protective measures are limited to direct federal assistance, with the federal government covering 75% of the cost. Brett H. Howard is the federal coordinating officer. FEMA said more counties could be added if Florida asks and damage assessments warrant it.

At the state level:

Insurance: officials plan to open insurance assistance hubs in affected areas within 48 hours.
Scams: CFO Blaise Ingoglia warned residents not to sign contracts or pay deposits until roofers and other contractors are verified.
Price gouging: Attorney General James Uthmeier said a small number of complaints had already come in.
Businesses: the state asked affected businesses to report damage at FloridaDisaster.biz.
Emergency missions: DeSantis said crews had completed roughly 180 missions through the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Miami's Global Empowerment Mission Sends Supplies, Volunteers and Cash Cards to Pensacola After Isaias

Volunteers at the Miami-based Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) packed supplies for Panhandle communities hit by Isaias, and its emergency response teams reached Pensacola on Friday. The group is also offering emergency cash cards to help families recover. "Thank god it's not as bad as it could have been. But it's still damage," said founder and president Michael Capponi.

Downtown Orlando Drivers Balk at Doubled Street Parking Rates and App-Only Payment Two Weeks Into the Change

Two weeks after downtown Orlando overhauled its parking system, residents, visitors and business owners say higher rates and a new payment process are making trips downtown pricier and less convenient. The city removed traditional meters and moved payment to phone or app. Street parking now costs $2 an hour for each of the first two hours, double the old rate, then $3 for the third hour and $4 for the fourth. City garages charge $2 an hour for the first four hours and $3 for each hour after that, and the daily maximum rose from $15 to $20. Rates can run higher during special events.

Some visitors said they now park near UCF and take an Uber downtown instead. "I used to come out a lot, but now I am paying more to park than I am to get in the club," said one woman who often goes downtown. Workers and family business owners who drive in for jobs say they are paying more too.

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❖ Miami-Dade — Gables Estates Waterfront Compound Lists for $148 Million: Coral Gables: A nearly 2.5-acre waterfront estate in Gables Estates is listed for $148 million. The 14,000-square-foot home, designed by architect Rafael Portuondo, has 245 feet of deep-water frontage, an 86-foot dock with bridge-free access to Biscayne Bay, a guest villa and a private chapel.

❖ Tampa Bay — A Year In, Excelsior University's St. Pete Site Is Planning for More: St. Petersburg: Albany, N.Y.-based Excelsior University, long an online school, opened its first standalone learning site at 9400 4th Street N. a year ago. President David Schejbal says the school may add more sites in the region, citing about 17,000 Excelsior alumni in Florida and roughly 850,000 veterans between St. Pete and Orlando.

❖ Orlando — Universal's Reworked Horror Make-Up Show Gets a Blumhouse Name: Orlando: Universal Orlando says its returning Horror Make-Up Show will be called "Universal Horror Make-Up Show Featuring Blumhouse," pairing its classic monsters with the studio behind "Get Out" and "Five Nights at Freddy's." The show was an opening-day attraction at Universal Studios Florida and will be one of only two opening-day attractions left once Animal Actors closes next month. No opening date has been set.

❖ Jacksonville — Pipe Rupture Closes Springfield Boys & Girls Club Long-Term: Jacksonville: A pipe rupture flooded The Bridge Boys & Girls Club in Springfield, ruining floors, walls, furniture, electronics and learning materials. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Florida will serve the club's kids at other sites while the building is closed. COO Wyatt Parlette called it the children's "second home."

❖ Broward — Broward's Hospital Systems Race for Land as Outpatient Building Booms: Hollywood: Memorial Healthcare System is spending $670 million on a new surgical and patient-bed tower at Memorial Regional Hospital, due in 2031. Broward Health is putting about $300 million into five projects as it pushes west. Cleveland Clinic and Baptist Health are also competing for scarce Broward sites, The Real Deal reports.

❖ Palm Beach — Boynton Beach's Soup Kitchen Sees Demand Jump About 25%: Boynton Beach: Demand at The Soup Kitchen is up about 25%, says CEO and executive director Marlene Mejia. She says gas prices, medicine and monthly bills are pushing more people to seek help, including working residents who own homes and cars.

❖ Gulf Coast — Lee Health Says UnitedHealthcare's Unpaid Claims Now Top $150 Million: Fort Myers: Six weeks after Lee Health said it would drop UnitedHealthcare's commercial and Medicare Advantage contracts, the standoff is widening. Dr. Nari Hashmati of Lee Physicians Group says unpaid claims have grown from about $100 million to more than $150 million. UnitedHealthcare calls the move "abrupt," and coverage ends in January unless the two sides reach a deal.

❖ Space Coast — Construction Starts on 100-Apartment Ekos at Rockledge Park: Rockledge: McDowell Housing Partners has broken ground on Ekos at Rockledge Park, a $38.2 million, five-story building at 1505 Cogswell St. Its 100 apartments are for households earning 30% to 70% of area median income.

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❖ Largo Shows What Its Budget Could Look Like if Amendment 3 Passes: Half the Library Hours, 57 Fewer Full-Time Fire and Police Staff — Largo officials showed residents a hypothetical 2028 budget at the Oct. 6 commission meeting, laying out what could happen if Amendment 3 passes and the city doesn't raise money another way, WMNF reports. Library hours would be cut in half, to 28 hours a week. Fire rescue would lose more than $5 million and 28 full-time staff, and police would eliminate 29 full-time staff and end the crossing guard program. Several parks, the Largo Community Center and the Highland Aquatics Center could close. Commissioners said higher taxes, fees or millage would likely fill some of the gap, and the city said the budget is informational, not an endorsement.

❖ Polk Commission Fires CareerSource Polk's Longtime CEO After State Workforce Officials Asked for Her Removal — The Polk County Commission voted 3-2 on Oct. 6 to fire CareerSource Polk CEO Stacy Campbell-Domineck with cause after 20 years in the job, then dismissed the agency's entire board, WMNF reports. In August, CareerSource Florida CEO Adrienne Johnston and FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly had asked commissioners to fire her, citing alleged mismanagement and what their letter called a "woke" fundraiser. The letter said DeSantis could remove commissioners who didn't consider the firing. A county-paid outside review found some of the letter's claims legitimate and others unsubstantiated.

❖ DeSantis Names Three to the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District Board — Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Peter Batty Sr. and reappointed Erica Sterling and Kathryn Ovide to the Lower Florida Keys Hospital District, the Keys Citizen reports. Batty is president of SBX Commercial Real Estate and director of community relations for the Key West Housing Authority. Sterling is a partner at a Key West law firm, and Ovide is a former Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority director.

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❖ Troubled 304-Unit St. Pete Apartment Complex Changes Hands in $41.1 Million Bankruptcy Sale — The Morgan, a 304-unit apartment complex in south St. Petersburg that has faced mounting debt, unpaid utility bills and resident complaints about deteriorating conditions, has changed ownership after a federal bankruptcy proceeding, the St Pete Catalyst reports. Dallas-based Lurin Real Estate Holdings LXIV LLC transferred the complex at 5473 27th St. S. to BDS V FL Morgan LLC on Oct. 2. That followed a Sept. 17 ruling by a federal bankruptcy judge in Texas approving a $41.1 million credit bid by a secured lender identified as Bridge, the only qualified bidder. Lurin bought the complex for $49.5 million in 2022 and by this year had fallen behind on a $46.3 million mortgage. The city had sought more than $400,000 in unpaid water bills, and the bankruptcy order recognizes a $722,838.81 secured claim held by St. Petersburg. The new owner, management and the city didn't respond to the Catalyst's questions about plans for the 1972 complex.

❖ St. Petersburg Startup Seagate Space Plans First Offshore Rocket Launches Within 18 Months — St. Petersburg-based Seagate Space, which develops offshore platforms that can launch rockets to orbit, is contracting for its first launches, planned within the next 18 months, co-founder and CEO Michael Anderson told Florida Trend. Last December the 10-person startup became the first company to receive preliminary approval from the American Bureau of Shipping for an offshore spaceport design. This spring it announced partnerships with Lockheed Martin, Firefly Aerospace and Oceaneering, and in June it secured Space Florida funding to develop a prototype offshore launch platform with Tampa Ship at Port Tampa Bay. Anderson said customers have made upfront payments on multimillion-dollar charter agreements, which is unusual for a startup. Seagate has also raised early funding from Phase Shift Ventures, New World Angels and DraperU, and plans to raise more.

❖ 32% of Small-Business Owners Couldn't Fill Openings in September, NFIB Says, as Florida Hiring Slows — Small-business hiring slowed in September, with 32% of owners reporting job openings they could not fill, according to the National Federation of Independent Business, the Keys Citizen reports. That share fell 3 percentage points from August but stayed 8 points above its historical average. Florida-specific data wasn't available, but NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle said the national trend is reflected across the state: "Between rising business expenses and challenges finding qualified applicants, hiring has slowed for Florida's 'main street' businesses." About 51% of owners hired or tried to hire, down 5 points, and 87% of those reported few or no qualified applicants. Labor quality or availability was the top problem for 26% of owners, while a net 17% plan to create jobs in the next three months.

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South Carolina Stuns No. 16 Florida 38-19 in the Swamp

LaNorris Sellers accounted for five touchdowns, four of them passing, and South Carolina beat No. 16 Florida 38-19 Saturday in Gainesville to end an eight-game skid in SEC play. Sellers completed 23 of 35 passes for 279 yards. The Gators (4-2, 2-2), double-digit favorites at home, lost a second straight game in lopsided fashion after a 45-17 loss at Missouri; Jadan Baugh ran 15 times for 59 yards and quarterback Aaron Philo turned the ball over twice.

No. 18 Oklahoma State Pulls Away From UCF 42-28 After Fumble-Return Score

UCF pulled even at 21 on Keyone Jenkins' 3-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds left in the first half and was driving early in the fourth quarter, trailing 27-21, when Jenkins' backwards pass was knocked down and returned 28 yards for a touchdown by Oklahoma State's Evan Jackson. The No. 18 Cowboys won 42-28 in Stillwater. Jenkins threw for 265 yards and four touchdowns, and Drew Mestemaker threw for 304 yards and two scores for Oklahoma State. The Knights (3-3, 1-2) have lost 12 straight road games.

Kaprizov's Hat Trick Spoils Panthers' Home Opener in 4-1 Wild Win

Kirill Kaprizov had three goals and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Panthers 4-1 Saturday night to spoil Florida's home opener in Sunrise. Matt Boldy scored 53 seconds into the game, and Matthew Tkachuk had Florida's lone goal, his team-leading third. The Panthers (2-1-2), playing without Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, were 0 for 5 on the power play and are 1 for 28 this season.

Scoreboard

Sat Oct 10 — Wild 4, Panthers 1 FINAL

Sat Oct 10 — Inter Miami 4, D.C. United 0 FINAL

Sat Oct 10 — Orlando City 3, Columbus 2 FINAL

Sat Oct 10 — Lightning 5, Islanders 3 FINAL

Schedule (all times ET)

Sun Oct 11: Eagles vs. Jaguars (London), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network

Sun Oct 11: Bengals at Dolphins, 1 p.m., FOX

Mon Oct 12: Panthers at Sabres, 1 p.m., Scripps Sports

Mon Oct 12: Guardians at Rays, ALCS Game 1, 8 p.m., TBS

Tue Oct 13: Panthers at Blue Jackets, 6:15 p.m., Scripps Sports

Tue Oct 13: Lightning at Rangers, 7:15 p.m., The Spot

Tue Oct 13: FIU at Jacksonville State, 8 p.m., ESPNU

More Scores: NFL | MLB | NHL | NCAAF | WNBA

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Florida regular averaged about $4.11 a gallon Saturday (AAA, as of 10/10/26), down about 3.7 cents from Friday (about $4.15) and up about half a cent from a week ago ($4.105). That is about 25.7 cents under the national average of about $4.37. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at $4.292, and Pensacola is the cheapest at about $4.01.

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❖ Delray Beach Volunteer's Weekly Meal Route Reaches 35 Homebound Neighbors: Every Wednesday for the past year and a half, retiree John Gavin has loaded his car at CROS Ministries' Caring Kitchen and delivered meals to Delray Beach residents who can't leave their homes; his route reaches 35 of the 120 people enrolled. With demand growing, the program is seeking more volunteers to cook, package and deliver meals and to spend time with participants who often live alone.

❖ Alachua County Students Build a Radio Station in Hopes of Talking to Astronauts: Students at Gainesville Christian Community School and The Rock School are developing amateur radio programs that could one day let them talk directly with astronauts aboard the International Space Station. At The Rock School, 10 high schoolers have formed an Amateur Radio Satellite Club and are building their own robotic antenna-control system, including 3D-printed gears. "This is exciting!" said academic advisor Lacy Basford.

❖ Six Vanguard High Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists: The Marion County School Board recognized six Vanguard High School International Baccalaureate seniors named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists, a status earned by about 16,000 of more than 1.2 million students who entered. The seniors plan to study fields including chemistry, engineering, computer science and psychology, and are now competing for National Merit Scholarships to be awarded in spring 2027.

❖ Retired Piano Teacher Turned St. Petersburg Novelist Hears "the Music When I Write": Chaim Freiberg, who taught piano in New York City for 45 years, moved to St. Petersburg after retiring and devoted himself to fiction; his new novella, In C Sharp Minor, follows women classical pianists in the early 20th century. "I decided to be a musician when I was 5 years old," he said, recalling sitting on a see-saw when he made up his mind.

❖ Kissimmee and Orlando Utility Crews Head Out to Help Panhandle and Alabama Neighbors: Kissimmee Utility Authority sent 12 linemen and a mechanic to DeFuniak Springs on Saturday to help Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative restore power, through its mutual-aid agreement. The Orlando Utilities Commission sent 17 employees to Robertsdale, Alabama, to work alongside local utilities.

❖ 83 Southwest Florida Veterans Fly to Washington on Collier-Lee Honor Flight's Mission 30: Southwest Florida veterans flew to Washington, D.C., on Saturday on Collier-Lee Honor Flight's Mission 30, which includes 83 Korean War and Vietnam War veterans. The nonprofit flies local veterans to visit the memorials built in their honor completely free of charge, and every flight is funded entirely through donations and volunteers.

Today’s Quote

"Sunday is the only day a Florida kitchen table gets more chairs than it was built for."

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waxing crescent Sunday, Oct. 11 (about 1% illuminated), a day after Saturday's new moon. First quarter is Sunday, Oct. 18, and full moon is Monday, Oct. 26 (USNO).

Sunrise / Sunset: In Orlando on Sunday, sunrise is at 7:24 a.m. and sunset at 7:00 p.m. EDT, for about 11 hours, 36 minutes of daylight. Times vary across the state, and Pensacola is on Central time.

Gardening Notes: Hurricane winds can scorch leaves and carry salt spray miles inland, UF/IFAS Extension says, so rinse salt off plants with fresh water and give wind-stressed plants extra water to help them recover. Skip chemical fertilizer for now, because it delivers nutrients in salt form.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC's latest update (Oct. 9) found background to very low red tide levels along the Gulf Coast and none on the East Coast.

Florida by the Numbers

The Florida Public Service Commission oversees 57 electric utilities: 4 investor-owned companies, 35 municipally owned utilities and 18 rural electric cooperatives. The four investor-owned utilities alone averaged about 8.9 million customers in 2024.

Today’s Poll

Do you support requiring Florida utilities to bury more power lines after Hurricane Isaias left hundreds of thousands of Panhandle customers without power?

Yesterday’s Results

Do you support Florida working with Uber to offer evacuees free rides, up to $40 each way, to and from state-approved shelters during hurricanes?

Strongly support 21% · Somewhat support 17% · Oppose 29% · Not sure 33%