Recap: Hurricane Idalia leaves flooding, power outages in its Florida wake

Hurricane Idalia's eye made landfall Wednesday morning at 7:45 a.m. along the coast of Florida's Big Bend near Keaton Beach, and by 10 a.m. had exited Florida's panhandle, driving damaging winds into Georgia.

Idalia was a Category 3 storm with sustained winds at 125 mph when it made landfall. Its eastward track provided a more favorable outcome for Tallahassee, which could have sustained a huge hit. The storm stretches 350 miles across and covers 96,211 square miles. Maximum sustained winds have dropped to 75 mph as it moves through Georgia.

Key developments Wednesday:

• Communities across the Gulf Coast were cleaning up from flooding and wind damage caused by Hurricane Idalia.

• Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Keaton Beach at 7:45 a.m. and the eyewall exited a little more than two hours later. It was downgraded to a tropical storm at 5 p.m. when it was near the Georgia coast.

• Social media videos show the lashing Cedar Key was taking as Hurricane Idalia passed.

• Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a briefing to expect widespread power outages and damage and urged residents to stay home.

Here are the latest updates:

Power outages reported across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina

Thousands were without power as Tropical Storm Idalia moves over South Carolina Wednesday night.

View our power outage tracker below, or click here to open in a new screen.

Tropical Storm Idalia now over South Carolina | NHC update

At 8 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Tropical Storm Idalia was located 60 miles west of Charleston, South Carolina.

Idalia is moving toward the northeast near 21 mph and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. A generally eastward motion is forecast to begin on Thursday and continue through Saturday.

On the forecast track, the center of Idalia will move near or along the coast of South Carolina through tonight, and then just offshore of the coast of North Carolina on Thursday. Idalia will then move eastward over the western Atlantic into the weekend.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been discontinued south of Altamaha Sound, Georgia to the Flagler/Volusia County, Florida line.

— Grace Pateras, USA TODAY Network-Florida

On Florida's East Coast, Idalia demolishes iconic balustrades in Jacksonville

Churned up then whipped by Hurricane Idalia's winds, pounding waves from the St. Johns River demolished the iconic concrete balustrades at Memorial Park in Jacksonville's Riverside waterfront neighborhood Wednesday.

The destruction comes about a year after the ornamental concrete balustrades were replaced after being decimated by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Irma took out about 600 feet of shoreline overlooking one of the broadest sections of the river at the park. The city finished long-awaited repairs to Memorial Park from that storm in July 2021.

— Teresa Stepzinski and Hanna Holthaus, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Hurricane Idalia causes fires, destroys homes in Southwest Florida

Hurricane Idalia may have come ashore at Keaton Beach, but its impact could be felt as much as 150 miles south in record flood waters.

In Citrus County, U.S. 19 resembled an impromptu lake, forcing local emergency officials to close off the primary access to downtown Crystal River.

Across coastal Pasco County, fire-rescue officials estimated that floodwaters entered up to 5,000 homes, triggering an array of dangerous rescue operations for residents who rode out the storm. Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Jeremy Sidlauskas said Pasco firefighters responded to at least two burning homes amid the floodwaters.

— Rick Neale, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Historic oak falls at governor's mansion in Tallahassee

While overseeing Florida’s response to Hurricane Idalia at the state emergency operations center, Gov. Ron DeSantis received word from First Lady Casey DeSantis that the storm split in half a century-old oak tree in the front yard of the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee.

“100 year old oak tree falls on the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee," the First Lady later tweeted on her X account. "Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured. Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm.”

— James Call, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Evacuation orders lifting across Florida

Pinellas and Hillsborough counties lifted their evacuation orders, allowing residents back to waterfront areas and barrier islands. Bridges are reopening throughout Southwest Florida after being battered from Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, Manatee County estimates $2 million worth of damage from Idalia.

— Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Here's how to avoid scammers after Hurricane Idalia

After every disaster, scam artists, fake contractors, identity thieves, suspicious-looking FEMA agents and other terribly helpful, highly unscrupulous people will use this opportunity to take your money. You may find that you've allowed someone to collect insurance money on your behalf that you'll never see again, or paid for construction services that will never happen or were grossly overcharged.

Here are some tips to help avoid scams. The most common ones, according to the Florida Attorney General's Office, are repair scams, tree service scams, and water testing and treatment scams, but there are others to watch for.

— C.A. Bridges and Laura Finaldi, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Ron DeSantis warns reported looters in Steinhatchee

During a hurricane update Wednesday afternoon in Perry, near where Hurricane Idalia made landfall, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed reports of looting in Steinhatchee about 20 miles south.

"People have a right to defend their property," DeSantis said. "In this part of Florida, you've got a lot of advocates and proponents of the 2nd Amendment, and I've seen signs in different people's yards in the past after these disasters [that say] 'You loot, we shoot.' You never know what's behind that door."

DeSantis said state authorities have been told to protect people's property and that "we're not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster."

"You never know what's behind that door if you walk into someone's house," DeSantis said.

— Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY Network-Florida

What to do if your home or car flooded in Hurricane Idalia

Cedar Key saw nearly seven feet of storm surge washing over the small island community Wednesday morning and areas along the west coast such as Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota and Manatee counties were swamped with water. Videos from the areas showed flooded bridges, floating cars, wading residents and knee-high water rushing into doorways.

That makes this a good time to point out that most Floridians don't have flood insurance. In April, 18% of Florida homeowners and 4% of U.S. homeowners had this coverage, which in the Sunshine State is only required if you have a mortgage and live in a FEMA-designated flood zone. Starting last spring, state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. began phasing in a requirement that new policyholders have flood insurance.

But what do you do if your home or car was just flooded? First things first, immediately document the damage with photos and video and file a claim with your insurance provider, said Mark Friedlander, spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute.

— C.A. Bridges and Hannah Morse, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Tallahassee escapes worst predictions for Hurricane Idalia

Florida's state capital, which was bracing for a direct hit from Idalia, managed to escape widespread destruction as the hurricane wobbled east before slamming into the Taylor County coast.

The hurricane knocked out power to more than 44,000 city of Tallahassee customers and 24,000 or more Talquin Electric customers, though Idalia’s glancing blow in Tallahassee allowed crews to begin repairs sooner than initially thought.

Mayor John Dailey said he was still waiting for full damage reports. But he said “it does seem that it could have been worse” for the capital city.

The destruction that could have been visited on Tallahassee and the Big Bend coast to its immediate south was instead felt by communities to the east, from the inland city of Perry to the coastal towns of Steinhatchee and Cedar Key.

— Jeff Burlew, Elena Barrera and Ana Goñi-Lessan, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Is Waffle House open? Hurricane Idalia closes some Florida restaurants

When the Waffle House turns the lights off, it's bad.

Just ahead of Hurricane Idalia slamming into Florida's Big Bend Wednesday near Keaton Beach, five Waffle House restaurants were closed, Waffle House Vice President of Public Relations Njeri Boss told USA TODAY.

The popular 24/7 restaurant chain specializing in waffles and other breakfast food rarely closes it doors, often providing food and resources to first responders during natural disasters.

In addition to the five locations shuttered across the state, as of 10:30 a.m. local time, Boss said, one store had lost power due to the storm.

— Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY

Pounded by Ian a year ago, Fort Myers weathers Hurricane Idalia

Residents and workers walked and waded around downtown Fort Myers on Wednesday, assessing damage and checking which local businesses had reopened after Hurricane Idalia passed through.

Some had to turn around and avoid flooded streets. Flooding caused the northbound lanes of the Edison Bridge to close, with parts of downtown restricted, traffic cones dotting intersections and officers redirecting traffic.

A few residents, however, took a morning stroll around the water or rode through on their bikes. Nicole Fous, a downtown Fort Myers resident and artist, took her dog out for a walk while looking for pieces of palm frond to use for hurricane-inspired art.

"It's a nice beautiful morning with the wind," Fous said.

— Luis Zambrano and Tomas Rodriguez, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Flood risks remain in Florida with high tides and storm surge

Water entered an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 homes across Pasco County, triggering an array of dangerous rescue operations for residents who rode out the storm, Pasco County Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Jeremy Sidlauskas said.

“We had a lot of people that were in their homes. We had people that were getting up on their roofs. We had people that were hiding out in their attics. We had all kinds of stuff that we encountered today,” Sidlauskas said.

The Riverview neighborhood in Hillsborough County has suffered record flooding in the wake of Hurricane Idalia. The river smashed its previous record high water level set during Hurricane Frances in 2004, according to National Weather Service data.

Hillsborough County officials said in a statement that floods along the river are expected to increase in the afternoon because of storm surge, heavy rains and high tide.

— Rick Neale and Dan Glaun, USA TODAY Network-Florida

2 deaths reported from Hurricane Idalia

CNN is reporting that two people have died in single-car crashes related to Hurricane Idalia.

According to ABC News, Florida Highway Patrol said a 59-year-old Gainesville man crashed into a Pasco County ditch about 6 a.m. while driving his Toyota pickup in "extremely rainy conditions."

The Tampa Bay Times reported a 40-year-old Spring Hill man lost control and struck a tree in eastern Pasco County about 6:15 a.m.

— Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Several regions in Florida under flood warning

Severe flooding caused by excessive rainfall of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations is imminent. There is a flood warning until 1:30 p.m. in these areas around Florida, according to the National Weather Service:

• Portions of central, south central, and west central

• Florida, including Hardee and Polk counties

• In south central Florida, DeSoto

• In west central Florida, Manatee and Sarasota

Developments in storm-affected areas around Florida

Stay sheltered in Tallahassee: Power outages have been a problem and a gas line gave way

Sarasota barrier islands flood: Sarasota police warn of high water causing flooding will continue to rise as high tide and surge worsen.

Flooding is expected: Also some flights have been canceled in Southwest Florida

Stay home in SWFL: In Lee County and the Fort Myers area, officials ask people to stay off the roads

Rising water: The Tampa Bay area was seeing flooding on roads, and to the north in Tarpon Springs, they're calling for residents to stay off the road as high tide looms.

Videos show Idalia whipping through Tallahassee, FSU

A slight eastward jog may spare Tallahassee from a direct hit from Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach and is currently working its way across Florida.

Readers and journalists are recording plenty of storm action.

— C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Rising Anclote River waters threaten Tarpon Springs

By 9 a.m. Wednesday, rising waters from the Anclote River were on some streets with thigh-high floodwaters, swamping vehicles.

“Around 6 o’clock, it looked like it was about to go into my car. It was going to be past the door jamb,” said Ken Kruse, standing on his front porch amid the newly formed urban lake. A man atop a stand-up paddle board floated down the street as he spoke.

Tarpon Springs first responders shut down an array of streets surrounding Kruse’s neighborhood, near the downtown business district. He and other neighbors said they had never seen similar flooding.

City officials are urging residents to stay off the roadways this morning and Fire Rescue in Tarpon Springs posted this on Facebook:

“There is significant tidal flooding along our roadways, and it is expected to worsen until high tide at approximately 12:30 pm. The water should start to recede this afternoon after the high tide.”

The conditions are also tough for responders, when about 10 a.m. a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Humvee had to turn back and retreat because the water was too deep on Grand Avenue.

— Rick Neale, USA TODAY Network-Florida

How big is Hurricane Idalia?

Idalia was about 350 miles across, with the hurricane-force winds about 50 miles in diameter.Idalia covers an area about the size of Colorado, which measures 380 miles wide.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, minutes after landfall in Keaton Beach, Florida, Idalia's tropical-storm force wind field covered an area of about 96,211 square miles. That's a little smaller than the state of Colorado, which measures about 104,000 square miles.

At 8 a.m. Wednesday, Idalia's hurricane-force wind field was 7,850 square miles, about the size of New Jersey, which has about 7,354 square miles of land.

— Jennifer Sangalang, Jeffrey Meesey, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Hurricane Idalia landfall was in Keaton Beach, here's how it progressed through the Gulf

Photos show flood damage in Sarasota-Manatee

— Wade Tatangelo USA TODAY Network-Florida

Power outages are happening in storm-affected areas

Here's a map to track where the power is going out:

Hurricane Idalia's landfall location was at Keaton Beach Florida

Idalia was at 125 mph when it made landfall at 7:45 Wednesday, August 30, 2023 at Keaton Beach, Florida in Taylor County the Big Bend.

Keaton Beach is Taylor County's main beach area, with a local pier, the county's primary boat ramp, and a children's play area called Hodges Park.

— C. A. Bridges USA TODAY Network-Florida

Florida's Space Coast serves as military Idalia rescue staging area

Melbourne Orlando International Airport is being used as one of several logistical staging points across Florida for rapid response to the expected damage left behind as weather forecasters point to flooding and 125 mph winds generated by Hurricane Idalia as it barreled ashore early Wednesday.

Chinook, Blackhawks and the Lakota rescue helicopters arrived Tuesday afternoon and were positioned along one of three tarmacs at the airport. Nearly 50 crew members accompanied the move in support of the operation that will follow as the major hurricane lifts toward Georgia, airport officials said.

— J.D. Gallop USA TODAY Network-Florida

Gov. DeSantis warns: 'Hunker down'

“Do not go outside in the midst of this storm,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said early this morning before Idalia made landfall, expected to menace the Big Bend area and possibly Tallahassee. “Wherever you are, hunker down. Don’t mess with this storm. This is a very, very powerful storm.”

Idalia strengthened to a Category 4 storm overnight before being downgraded to Category 3 and is expected to produce a life-threatening storm surge of up to 16 feet in the Big Bend this morning.

It is the most intense storm to strike the Big Bend in more than 100 years, bringing punishing winds and flooding across the Panhandle, into the peninsula, and along the Atlantic Coast.

— James Call, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Videos show flood waters on Gulf Coast roads

Here's what people are seeing early Wednesday in the southwestern and Tampa Bay areas as landfall nears to the north. NOTE: If you are in the path of Idalia, please do not risk your life to get cool video. Stay safe.

— C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Cedar Key fisherman says boat ramps 'completely swallowed'

Michael Bobbitt, a clam fisherman who decided to stay on Cedar Key to help rescue people who've refused to leave, told USA TODAY just after 6 a.m., "It's a near apocalyptic scene here."

Bobbitt said storm surge from Hurricane Idalia "completely swallowed our boat ramps," all of Dock Street and First Street, where the historic downtown begins, and is racing farther inland.

He added that "worst case scenario" predictions of storm surge in Cedar Key may very well occur as Hurricane Idalia, now a category 4, continues toward the Big Bend coast.

— Christopher Cann, USA TODAY

Power flickers as Florida Emergency Operations Center generators kick in

As Gov. Ron DeSantis was finishing his morning remarks on Hurricane Idalia, emergency generators activated as power went out just after 6:30 a.m. when weather started to deteriorate in the Tallahassee area.

DeSantis said linemen were responding to power outages further south in Florida.

"Do everything you can to stay safe because first responders may not be able to get to you," said Kevin Guthrie, Florida Department of Emergency Management director.

Hurricane Idalia landfall expected in Taylor County mid-morning

Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist for WeatherTiger, said Idalia should make landfall within the next few hours in Taylor County.

"Over the last few hours, Idalia has been moving at a heading of about 20-25 degrees, or east of north," he wrote in a morning update. "On this track, and potentially factoring in a little more angling to the east, Idalia will be ashore somewhere south of Perry in central Taylor County between 8 and 9 a.m."

Truchelut wrote that Idalia was still intensifying and could strengthen further before making landfall.

"Massive surge, wind, and rain impacts are spreading across North Florida and west-central Florida, and you should be sheltering in place in these areas into the afternoon," Truchelut said.

— Tallahassee Democrat staff

High tide to increase Tampa Bay flood threat

Flooding from Hurricane Idalia has shut down much of Gulf Boulevard, the roadway connecting Pinellas County’s barrier islands. County authorities announced the closure in an emergency alert at 5:30 a.m.

Flooding in the Tampa Bay region has just begun, ahead of this afternoon’s high tide around 2 p.m.

“Flooding conditions could continue even after winds from Hurricane Idalia have subsided,” the emergency alert said.

Access to the Pinellas barrier islands is now closed, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office announced shortly before 6 a.m. Residents on the islands may still evacuate.

— Dan Glaun, USA TODAY Network-Florida

Tampa Bay reaches major flood level with near-hurricane-strength winds

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gauge in St. Petersburg on Tampa Bay had reached major flood level Wednesday morning, with water more than 5 feet above the Tuesday high tide and rising.

The peak wind gust reported by the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay/Ruskin so far is 70 mph at the Sarasota Bradenton airport.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY

Pinellas County barrier islands taking on flood water

Idalia's eyewall has passed but Pinellas County's emergency alert system advised residents Wednesday morning to remain sheltered as much of Gulf Boulevard was closed due to "significant flooding." Winds were reported to be 40-60 mph and traffic signals are damaged.

In neighboring Tampa, water was seen coming onto I-275 and the Howard Franklin Bridge.

Jim Cantore reports from Cedar Key: 'Stay out of the surge'

The Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore arrived in Florida this week to report on the catastrophic surge that is about to hit as Hurricane Idalia blows by the tiny fishing island off the Big Bend of Florida. Cantore did a live report from a flooded road just after 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Big Bend and Tallahassee brace for 'life-threatening weather event'

Leon County Administrator Vince Long told county commissioners that Idalia’s track continued to drift west, exposing the county to “greater wind risks,” including hurricane-force winds.

“This cannot be overstated: Idalia is a historic and life-threatening weather event,” Long wrote in a Tuesday email. “In briefings, weather experts have called it catastrophic. It will reshape the coastline and could very well change the lives of County residents."

Taylor County Sheriff’s Office announced a curfew was in place for residents early Wednesday morning on social media, advising people to stay off the road.

— Tallahassee Democrat staff

Hurricane Idalia nears Cedar Key Florida

Catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds are expected in Florida's Big Bend region this morning as Category 4 Idalia moves inland. At 5 a.m., the eye of Hurricane Idalia was located 60 miles west of Cedar Key and 90 miles south of Tallahassee. Idalia is moving toward the north-northeast near 18 mph.

A north-northeastward motion is expected through the morning, with Idalia's center forecast to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida this morning.

— Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network-Florida

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Hurricane Idalia makes Florida landfall Wednesday, leaves destruction