Hurricane Idalia Video Shows Storm Surge Wash Away Florida Home

A jaw-dropping video shows Hurricane Idalia's violent storm surge destroy a home in a small Florida beach town.

Idalia slammed Florida Wednesday morning as a devastating Category 3 hurricane, pummeling the Sunshine State with torrential rain, destructive winds and punishing storm surge. Idalia made landfall along Florida's Big Bend, where 125-mph winds were recorded, making it the strongest storm to hit the region in more than 120 years, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The coastal towns of Horseshoe Beach, Keaton Beach, Cedar Key and Steinhatchee were inundated by ruinous storm surge and extreme flooding.

While the storm came ashore on the Gulf Coast, the aftermath of Idalia was felt throughout the state, with areas of Florida reporting storm surges of 12 feet. Idalia has since weakened to a Category 1 as it moved through the state toward Georgia on Wednesday afternoon.

Newsweek reached out via email Wednesday night to Horseshoe Beach Fire Department, Dixie County Sheriff's Office and the NWS for comment.

A video clip shared on social media shows a house quickly being ravaged by Idalia's storm surge, as white-capped waters carry the home away before reducing it to debris.

"Storm surge from Hurricane Idalia washed away this home in Horseshoe Beach, Florida," AccuWeather posted on X, formerly Twitter, just before 5 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Alex Tardy, a warning coordination meteorologist for the NWS, told Newsweek in an email Wednesday night that powerful winds slamming the big Bend area as Idalia made landfall exacerbated the intensity of the storm surge.

"That is an amazing video of storm surge," Tardy told Newsweek. "Storm surge is basically a piling up of water waves from the wind associated with the hurricane so the stronger and more persistent the wind field, the higher the surge can be."

Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday to the NWS Tallahassee office for reports of damage.

Another video clip shared on X shows more flooding in battered Horseshoe Beach.

"Awful destruction in Horseshoe Beach, FL caused by Hurricane #Idalia earlier today," WeatherNation posted.

Officials in Dixie County, which includes Horseshoe Beach, warned in an online statement that restoring power and clearing "hazards" and debris will be a "long and slow process."

"We are still waiting for more information on the amount of damage that our County has received but for the coastal communities, we have confirmed reports of major damage to structures," Dixie County Fire Rescue said in a statement posted to Facebook Wednesday evening.

Dixie County has reopened coastal communities to residents with proof of identification or residence, according to the statement. Several major roadways have also been cleared enough to open but authorities advise caution if traveling. Fire Rescue crews, the National Guard, Florida Forest Service and the County Road Department have been working together to clear roadways so authorities can survey the area.

"We also have multiple crews out working hand in hand with the utility companies, to clear roadways in-land across the County," the statement says. "These crews are working as fast and efficiently as possible to mitigate not only down trees but, trying to clear down power lines. At this time, all major roadways Us 19 Hwy, NE 351 Hwy, Ne 349 Hwy, Ne 340 Hwy and Hwy 55a have been cleared for travel."