The center of Hurricane Idalia has slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 3 strength storm.
Hurricane Idalia had been downgraded to a Category 3 storm after reaching a Category 4 level before making landfall.
More than 200,000 customers were without electricity as trees snapped by strong winds brought down power lines and water submerged streets as Idalia came ashore in Florida’s Big Bend, near Keaton Beach just before 8 a.m. EDT. with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph.
Along the coast, some homes were submerged to near their rooftops, and structures along the ocean crumpled in the surge. As the eye moved inland, destructive winds shredded signs and rooftops.
Storm surge damage may stretch about 200 miles along Florida’s west coast, past the Tampa Bay area, and the state’s Big Bend area could get 12 to 16 feet of storm surge.
The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee said “locations may be uninhabitable for several weeks or months” because of wind damage. Storm surge could prevent access, too.
The fire and rescue department in Cedar Key posted that the area was taking some of the biggest storm surge, according to the Associated Press. The department’s post said most of the streets around the downtown area were underwater.
At least one person was rescued early today from Twin City Mobile Home Park, St. Petersburg police said.
Officials shared jarring video footage showing mobile homes and cars submerged in several feet of storm surge, while urging locals to stay out of flooded areas.
Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that not all residents in counties under evacuation orders have heeded calls to leave the areas in Idalia’s path. “Most people did heed the warning,” he said in this morning’s news conference, but he said not all followed evacuation orders.
Hurricane Idalia’s path today
Idalia is moving toward the north-northeast at close to 18 mph (30 kph). A
North-northeastward motion is expected through the morning, with Idalia’s center forecast to move into southern Georgia later today.
Idalia is forecast to turn toward the northeast and east-northeast, moving near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina late today and Thursday.
Although Idalia will weaken further now that the center is inland, it is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and near the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today.
