Florida has been malleted by Hurricane Idalia as huge storm surges and 110mph winds whipped across the state’s Big Bend.
The monster storm, which was downgraded to a Category 2 as it moved inland, engulfed much of the coastline at the top of the Panhandle on Wednesday morning.
Idalia crossed onto Florida’s Big Bend at Keaton Beach at 7.45am on Wednesday and is now heading northeast towards Georgia and the Carolinas.
It’s the strongest storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region in 127 years, matching an unnamed hurricane in 1896.
Tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders, and at least 215,000 are without power as flooding is battering the Big Bend coastline.
It is the latest hurricane to batter Florida, which has barely recovered from Hurricane Ian – which cost the state $113 billion to repair.
CLEARWATER: Flooding and rainwater whipped the coast as Clearwater Harbor Marina was swallowed by the rising tide on Wednesday morning
The NOAA tide station at Cedar Key is at 6′ above normal high tide and rising as flooding is significantly higher than predicted
HORSESHOE BEACH: Footage shows Horseshoe Beach entirely underwater as debris washes through a structure on Wednesday
CLEARWATER: Heavy rain battered the marina shortly after Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday
TAMPA: Interstate 275 in Tampa Bay is almost completely flooded on one side as the city braces to be hit with huge surge storms at 8am
Idalia is the second storm of a century to hit Keaton Beach, where the hurricane made landfall, in 30 years.
In March 1993, the region was struck by what has been called ‘the storm of the century,’ with wind gusts over 90 miles per hour, tornadoes and a devastating storm surge with at least seven killed in the county.
Idalia surged to a Category 4 storm in the early hours because of warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching speeds of up to 156mph – before dropping to 125mph shortly after 7am and 110mph at 9am.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of catastrophic storm surges of up to 12 to 16 feet in the worst affected areas.
Cedar Kay is being hit with almost 9 feet of storm surge, the worst in 109 years with waters still rising rapidly – eclipsing a record from Hurricane Hermine in 2016.
Footage shows Horseshoe Beach entirely underwater as debris washes through a structure.
St Petersburg Police shared a video of the level of flooding which wa sweeping away homes at a mobile trailer park, and confirmed they had already rescued one person by 6:50am.
Hurricane Idalia has been branded ‘an unprecedented event’ by the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.
CLEARWATER: Areas more inland survived the worst of the flooding, as police blocked access to a damaged bridge in Clearwater on Wednesday morning
TREASURE ISLAND: Water seeps over the beach in Treasure Island as thousands are warned to take cover
ST PETERSBURG: Floodwater submerged a marina in St Petersburg as flooding hit higher levels than predicted
The northern eyewall of Idalia is now onshore, with the center of the hurricane crossing onto Florida’s Big Bend at 7.45am
Idalia surged to a Category 4 storm in the early hours because of warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching speeds of up to 156mph – before dropping to 125mph shortly after 7am
CLEARWATER: Police start the clear up in Clearwater, Florida, as the hurricane starts to travel northeast towards Georgia and the Carolinas
TREASURE ISLAND: Live webcams show the coastline being battered by huge waves as Idalai whips up the wind to 125mph
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of catastrophic storm surges of up to 12 to 16 feet in the worst affected areas
DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 46 Florida counties, as 5,500 National Guard members were mobilized to help with evacuations and building defenses
It will be one of only three Category 3 hurricanes to make landfall within 60 miles of Cedar Key.
Hurricane Easy in 1950 and an unnamed hurricane in 1896 are the only others of that strength to make landfall in that area.
Idalia could spawn tornadoes as far south as Tampa and Sarasota, east to Jacksonville and north to the Georgia coast later today.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis warned ‘don’t mess with this storm’ as the power briefly went out from his headquarters.
He added that there have been 15 tornado warnings issued, saying: ‘It’s going to be a significant, significant impact.’
DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties, as 5,500 National Guard members were mobilized to help with evacuations and building defenses.
Meanwhile, 30,000 to 40,000 electricity workers were on standby to help restore power quickly after the hurricane passes.
Footage from the worst affected areas shows flooding in Fort Myers beach – which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian last year – as Tampa Bay is almost completely underwater.
TREASURE ISLAND: Images show water flooding the coastal area of Treasure Island as benches are submerged
ST PETERSBURG: DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties, as 5,500 National Guard members were mobilized to help with evacuations and building defenses
It’s the strongest storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region in more than 125 years
TARPON SPRINGS: Fire is seen as flood waters inundate the area and high speed winds batter the town
Idalia could spawn tornadoes as far south as Tampa and Sarasota, east to Jacksonville and north to the Georgia coast later today
The region is braced for another ‘multibillion-dollar insurance industry event’, with some firms restricting their business in Florida because of the common weather events.
State regulations prevent them from raising prices for customers, which they claim forces them to say no to new policies.
The Insurance Information Institute estimates that property and casualty insurers in the state have had cumulative underwriting losses of more than $1 billion for the last three years.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge has been closed to all traffic as sustained wind speeds hit an excess of 50mph.
Over 1,000 people in Sarasota were already without power overnight, and many other areas had the power cut off in advance as a precaution.
North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have all declared states of emergency, with assistance being provided from both California and New York.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is sending specialized search-and-rescue teams to Orlando and Atlanta.
New York’s Task Force 1, made up of NYPD and fire department employees, has arrived in South Carolina in preparation for rescue efforts.
Craig Fugate, a former FEMA administrator, said that people who have not already left may find themselves cut off, telling CNN: ‘Search and rescue will be the first priority.’
Teams will work on ‘power restoration, damage assessments and getting people assistance as fast as they can.’
Cedar Key Commissioner Sue Colson told residents to ‘leave’, adding: ‘It’s not something to discuss.’
CLEARWATER: Trees have begun to fall amid winds increasing across the Big Bend in Florida
TARPON SPRINGS: Floodwater hits downtown area of Tarpon Springs hours before Idalia made landfall
ST PETERSBURG: A wall of water started flooding St Petersburg in the early hours of the morning before landfall
TAMPA: Tampa, Florida, is already overcome with floodwater following the storm hitting the coastline
PINELLAS: The Big Bend hunkers down ahead of Category 3 hurricane that will bring 16ft storm surges, 125mph winds and tornados
Idalia is the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida in the last 12 months, following Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and Hurricane Nicole in October 2022.
DeSantis suspended tolls in several counties as he urged residents to finalize their storm and evacuation preparation.
The last hurricane to make landfall in the region was 2016’s Hermine, which made landfall as a Category 1 storm.
More than 30,000 utility workers have been put on standby to make repairs as quickly as possible in the hurricane’s wake.
Webcams in Cedar Key showed a significant rise in sea level, heavy rain and strong winds as of 1:45am ET.
Video captured from a US military plane evacuating the Tampa area also showed jaw-dropping footage of a rare St Elmo’s Fire lightning strikes as Idalia crept closer.
The storm could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian, which killed 150 people – more in Florida than any hurricane in almost 90 years.
A tornado watch is now in effect for more than seven million people across central and western Florida, including Tampa, until 6am ET on Wednesday.
More than a dozen state troopers went door to door warning residents that storm surge could rise as high as 15 feet.
CEDAR KEY: 12-16 feet of storm surge is expected on Wednesday with Idalia set to make landfall
TAMPA: A video shows the rare St.Elmo fire weather phenomenon on Tuesday in Florida, as the state braces for Idalia
TAMPA: Palm trees are battered by strong winds in Tampa, Florida, in the early hours of Wednesday
TAMPA: Heavy rain is seen battering Tampa in the early hours of Wednesday morning
ST PETERSBURG: Flooding begins in St. Pete Beach as Hurricane Idalia barrels towards Florida
Peak levels of the surge are expected to hit between Chassahowitzka and Aucilla River, with residents advised to follow advice from local officials.
If Tampa Bay is hit with anything above four feet of storm surge and if Cedar Key is battered by more than six feet, then it would set a new record.
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that the Biden administration made a supplemental request to Congress for $12billion to support the agency’s disaster relief fund.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed in preparation for the hurricane, with all flights from Tampa International Airport banning flights from Tuesday.
The FAA confirmed that they were taking additional safety precautions, including backup power generators and protecting equipment inside of air traffic control towers to prevent damage from leaks or broken windows.
Some of the nation’s largest airlines added that they would waive change fees for customers with plans to travel to or through parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the coming days.
Urban search and rescue teams are on standby from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while the Army Corps of Engineers is set to support power generation missions.
Amtrak announced that it was canceling several trains due to the hangover of Idalia, with 12 East Coast routes behind terminated on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The company has also shortened Palmetto routes for those two days, which usually run from New York to Savannah, in Georgia, and will instead stop at Washington DC.