Hurricane Idalia Update as Storm Begins Path of Destruction Through Florida

Hurricane Idalia has made landfall as a Category 3 storm in a sparsely populated area of Florida's Big Bend, with life-threatening winds of up to 125mph and a deadly storm surge. The eye of the storm came ashore near Keaton Beach, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

The storm is now moving inland, according to the latest updates. Idalia, which was briefly a Category 4 hurricane overnight but had weakened to a Category 2 by 9 a.m. ET on Wednesday, is causing flooding and destruction on its path through Florida.

Videos shared by Floridians on social media show the impact of the storm, with gusty winds blowing over flooded streets.

After the hurricane gained strength in the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters, forecasters warned Florida residents to "get out" immediately and seek shelter.

Nearly half of the state's counties were under some form of evacuation order on Wednesday as the hurricane was expected to bear down on its Gulf Coast and potentially bring devastation to the area with lashing winds and heavy downpours.

Meteorologist Dan Satterfield, a fellow of the American Meteorological Society, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Idalia "is an extremely dangerous hurricane."

NHC forecasters said the hurricane would have reached Category 4 status by landfall, with winds of at least 130mph. A Category 4 is considered a "major" storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and can bring "catastrophic damage."

The description of a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale reads: "Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed.

"Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months."

This description, however, doesn't take into account other deadly hazards such as storm surges.

"#Idalia forecast to become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane at landfall in Florida Big Bend region with catastrophic storm surge inundation," the NHC wrote on X on Tuesday night. "Residents should heed advice & evacuation orders by local officials in these areas."

"It is looking very healthy on satellite images," Satterfield wrote of the storm late on Tuesday. "If you are near the coast at Apalachee Bay (south of Tallahassee), get out NOW. You have only a few hours to go. Go NOW."

Authorities have also urged Floridians to seek shelter, with Governor Ron DeSantis saying in a briefing on Tuesday that residents should "be ready for impact."

An update from the Miami branch of the National Weather Service, released on X on Tuesday night, said Idalia was expected to continue strengthening as it moved north overnight.

The hurricane is expected to cause coastal flooding around Collier and Monroe Counties in the far south of the state, together with dangerous marine and beach conditions and periods of heavy rainfall and gusty winds.

Update 08/30/23 10:00 a.m. ET: This article was updated with the latest information about Hurricane Idalia. The headline was also changed.