Historic Hurricane Idalia pounding north Florida with ‘catastrophic’ storm surge: Live updates
CEDAR KEY, Florida − Historic Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday along Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 3 tropical cyclone and driving “catastrophic” storm surge and flooding for hundreds of miles as it powered toward the Georgia border.
“Catastrophic storm surge occurring along the coast of the Florida Big Bend and damaging winds spreading inland over northern Florida,” the center said in its 9 a.m. update, later adding that “damaging winds spreading into southern Georgia.”
Idalia was centered about 25 miles south of Valdosta, Georgia, speeding north-northeast at 18 mph with sustained winds easing to 105 mph, still a Category 2 hurricane. Radar imagery indicated the eye of Idalia made landfall along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend near Keaton Beach in Florida’s Taylor County around 7:45 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said.