Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida Big Bend with warnings of ‘catastrophic damage’

BY SARAH FORTINSKY - 08/30/23 8:02 AM ET

Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning in the Florida Big Bend as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph sustained winds, the National Hurricane Center said while warning of the possibility of “catastrophic damage.”

“Extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane #Idalia makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 125 mph. Catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds ongoing,” the center wrote in an update at 7:45 a.m. ET.

The storm briefly became a Category 4 storm early Wednesday morning, reaching maximum sustained winds of 130 mph by 5 a.m. ET. The hurricane center’s 7 a.m. update, however, showed a slight dip to 125 mph sustained winds, bringing Idalia down to a Category 3 storm. A subsequent 8 a.m. ET update brought the maximum sustained winds down slightly to 120 mph, still a Category 3 storm.

The National Hurricane Center, however, stressed that the storm’s downgrade did not change the “catastrophic” threat posed by Idalia.

“This change in wind speed does not diminish the threat of catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds,” its 7 a.m. update read, with forecasters warning of a “catastrophic storm surge” and “destructive winds occurring in the Florida Big Bend region.”

The 8 a.m. ET update showed Idalia about 10 miles south-southeast of Perry, Florida.

Storm surges remained a serious threat as the high tide threatened to inundate coastal areas. Many residents on the coast of Florida had been ordered or advised to evacuate ahead of the storm.

“Water levels along the coast of the Florida Big Bend continue to rise rapidly,” the hurricane center warned.

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” it added, saying water levels reaching 16 feet above ground were possible from the Wakulla/Jefferson County line to Yankeetown.

The center said the storm is expected to weaken now that it’s made landfall, but it still is likely to be a hurricane as it heads across Florida and southern Georgia later Wednesday.

Idalia is forecast to be a tropical storm when it nears the coasts of northeastern South Carolina and North Carolina on Wednesday night and Thursday, the latest update read.

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have all issued states of emergency, allowing officials to provide aid more effectively without going through bureaucratic processes.

Updated at 9:03 a.m. ET

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https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/4178428-idalia-makes-landfall-in-florida-big-bend/

>>19459781

Hurricane Idalia crashes into Florida as a ‘catastrophic’ storm: live updates

BY THEHILL.COM - 08/30/23 9:29 AM ET

Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane in the Big Bend region of Florida.

The storm hit land at 7:45 a.m., according to the National Hurricane Center, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph at Keaton Beach in Taylor County. As it has moved inland, it has lost some intensity, now at Category 2 with 110 mph sustained winds.

Forecasters predict storm surge of 12-16 feet above ground level and “destructive waves” as the storm makes landfall.

The predicted path of the storm crosses into southeast Georgia quickly after landfall, then following up the southern coast of South Carolina by the early hours of Thursday.

Follow along here for updates all day.

Zeke Pierce rides his paddle board down the middle of a flooded Bayshore Blvd in downtown in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

BY THEHILL.COM - 08/30/23 9:29 AM ET

Georgia encourages residents to seek shelter

Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security urged residents to seek shelter Wednesday morning ahead of Hurricane Idalia's arrival in the state.

“Emergency shelters are open in several Georgia counties in advance of idalia. If you live in a mobile home or inadequate housing seek substantial shelter as soon as possible,” the agency tweeted.

The hurricane made landfall in Florida, and its trajectory had it heading into southeast Georgia later Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center in its 9 a.m. Wednesday update said Florida's Big Bend region is experiencing 'catastrophic' storm surge.

NOAA radar have maximum sustained winds around 110 mph, putting Idalia at the top end of a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

The center reported that a weather station atop a tower near Perry, Fla., recorded a wind gust of 81 mph.

Over 200K without power

Over 200,000 Florida households were without power, as Hurricane Idalia moved inland on Wednesday morning. The Category 4 storm made landfall around 7:45 a.m. in Big Bend.

According to PowerOutage.us, almost 216,000 households in Florida were experiencing a power outage.

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Third Florida hurricane in 12 months

Hurricane Idalia is the third tropical cyclone to make landfall in Florida in 12 months.

Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm Sept. 28 in Cayo Costa, bringing destruction to southwest Florida as it hit with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph.

Hurricane Nicole hit Florida as a late-season Category 1 storm on Nov. 10. It made landfall near Vero Beach.

'Unprecedented event'

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has deemed Idalia “an unprecedented event” in Florida's Big Bend region because no “major hurricanes have ever moved through the Apalachee Bay.”

High water reaches down Gulf Coast to Tampa

National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan told CNN on Wednesday morning that impacts from Idalia were widespread on Florida's Gulf Coast, with significant winds and rising water levels in the Big Bend region.

“Significant life threatening storm surge is going to continue here for several more hours,” he said. “We're seeing elevated water levels all the way down into the Tampa Bay region, still with significant inundation there. So we're just

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starting to see the impacts ramp up now as the value moves inland across North Florida, southeastern Georgia real later today and into tonight we're going to see significant impacts all the way up into the Carolinas during the day tomorrow.”

Not evacuating makes 'a hazardous situation': DeSantis

Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave as Idalia gained strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And those who didn’t were warned to find a safe place while the storm moves through.

Gov. Ron DeSantis commented Wednesday morning on the residents of Cedar Key who had opted to stay:

“I think that it's, it's a hazardous situation. If you end up with storm surge that even approaches that 16 feet, the chance of surviving that is not great.”

DeSantis noted the state would be launching rescue efforts once the storm passes, as needed. “… Hopefully it's not necessary, hopefully they knew what they were doing and they have a spot.”

Landfall as a Category 3 storm

“Extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane idalia makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 125 mph. Catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds ongoing,” the National Hurricane Center wrote in an update at 7:45 a.m. EDT.

Landfall expected within the hour

At 7:20 a.m., the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said Idalia is "nearing landfall north of Steinhatchee, Florida” and will make landfall within the hour.

Hurricane force Wind gusts are expected to move inland and into Georgia this morning.

“Just south of the likely landfall location, gauges at Cedar Key are showing storm surge is rapidly increasing water levels, despite low tide. With high tide (~3.5ft above low tide) early this afternoon, and increasing onshore winds, expect life threatening surge to rapidly increase across the Big Bend this morning.”

DeSantis on Trump: 'Not my concern'

In an early morning press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, was asked about former President Trump, a Florida resident who a reporter pointed out had not commented yet on Idalia.

“It's not my concern,” the governor replied. “My concern is protecting the people of Florida being ready to go and and we've done that.”

DeSantis warns Florida: 'Do not go outside'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a press conference early Wednesday, urged caution as Idalia chugged toward the state: “Do not go outside in the midst of the storm.”

He noted that calm conditions could mean the eye of Idalia was passing over, “and those conditions will change very, very quickly. So wherever you are, hunker down and don't take anything for granted here, this is a very, very powerful storm.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4178366-hurricane-idalia-landfall-florida-georgia-live-updates/

Collin Rugg

@CollinRugg

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