Hurricane Idalia to ‘rapidly intensify’ with direct hit expected for Florida coast

Hurricane Idalia is leaving a wake of destruction from the Gulf inland as it makes its way into Georgia.

The storm, which rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm before dropping back to a Category 3 early Wednesday, made landfall about 7:45 a.m. near Keaton Beach, at the crux of Florida’s Big Bend region.

Idalia brought “catastrophic storm surge” to a swath of the Gulf Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. It remained a hurricane as it crossed into Georgia, with top winds of 90 mph at 11 a.m., after drenching Florida mostly to the east of Tallahassee.

The Florida Highway Patrol reported two deaths that occurred as the storm approached landfall. At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the state has not determined yet whether those deaths would be deemed as storm-related.

Forecasters said the areas from the Aucilla River, which leads to the Gulf at Apalachee Bay, to Yankeetown would see the highest storm surges, between 12 and 16 feet. In Tampa, Bill Hall watched in astonishment as a paddleboarder rode along Bayshore Boulevard, a major thoroughfare. “This is actually unbelievable,” Hall said. “I haven’t seen anything like this in years.”

As of Wednesday, more than 242,000 customers were without electricity as trees snapped by strong winds brought down power lines and rushing water covered streets. Along the coast, some homes were submerged to near their rooftops and structures crumpled. As the eye moved inland, destructive winds shredded signs and sent sheet metal flying.

Cedar Key was on the “dirty” right hand side of the storm, where impacts tend to be more severe. A National Ocean Service tide gauge there showed a surge nearly 9 feet higher than the predicted tidal level. “We have multiple trees down, debris in the roads, do not come,” posted the fire and rescue department in Cedar Key. “We have propane tanks blowing up all over the island.”