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Aug 29, 2023 · As Hurricane Idalia hurtled toward Florida, Tampa city officials felt cautiously optimistic their city wouldn’t face the worst of the storm’s wrath. But memories of Hurricane Ian are fresh.
- Spata
Aug 30, 2023 · Hurricane Idalia made landfall early Wednesday along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 3 with sustained winds of 125 mph, bringing devastating damage to the area, including...
- Spata
- 1 min
- Overview
- Hurricane Idalia's location and warnings
- Where did Hurricane Idalia hit?
- Map of Hurricane Idalia's projected path
- Will Idalia and Franklin hit Florida at the same time?
Update: Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning. Read the latest here.
Hurricane Idalia briefly strengthened into an extremely dangerous Category 4 over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday but then weakened slightly back to a Category 3 before making landfall at Keaton Beach in the Big Bend region of Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. It warned the storm was bringing "catastrophic" storm surge and "destructive winds."
The center emphasized that the "change in wind speed does not diminish the threat of catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds," the consequences of which may be exacerbated by a concurrent "king tide."
Idalia was downgraded to a Category 1 and then to a tropical storm later in the day as its wind speeds declined. Hurricane warnings were issued for parts of Georgia and South Carolina as Idalia continued to travel along its projected path up the southeast coast of the U.S., while Florida communities grappled with infrastructure damage, shuttered airports and widespread power outages.
Storm surge in some areas was expected to reach 16 feet.
"That level of storm surge is life threatening," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at an early morning briefing, adding, "There will be impacts far behind the eye wall, and those will extend to places like Tallahassee" and other parts of northeast Florida.
Idalia spent several days churning toward the Florida coast from the Gulf of Mexico. As the storm intensified, meteorologists warned that it could bring "catastrophic" storm surge and "destructive winds" to the Big Bend region as it moved over land.
"While Idalia should weaken after landfall," the center continued, "it is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and near the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today. Idalia should emerge off the southeastern United States coast early on Thursday and move eastward through late week."
On Facebook early Wednesday, Cedar Key resident Michael Presley Bobbitt posted video of water coming up to his home and said, "The water just keeps coming. Pray for Cedar Key."
CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson noted Tuesday that the massive storm surge expected to accompany Idalia's arrival on land "is the primary threat with this storm."
"There is likely a level of people being caught off guard farther south as the storm is just skirting by," he said. "The storm surge may go as far as US19 inland, so there's a lot of area covered by that, even if the coast isn't populated like near Naples. No one alive in these areas has seen flooding this bad there if it hits max potential."
Gulf Coast communities were under a range of severe weather advisories, from hurricane and tropical storm warnings and watches to storm surge warnings and watches, but the National Weather Service Tallahassee said the tropical storm and hurricane warnings had been canceled as of about 5 p.m. Wednesday, while concerns remained about "lingering coastal flooding, especially at high tides."
Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning in the Big Bend region, which is where the Florida peninsula meets the panhandle. Storm surge along the coast there was forecast to reach 12 to 16 feet, worsening through the day as the tide rises.
Storm surge is a rise in water levels caused by hurricane-force winds that push water toward shore and over areas of land that are normally dry, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This phenomenon is considered the greatest threat to life during a hurricane.
In Crystal River, north of Tampa, city manager Doug Baber warned about the threat of storm surge — the worst of which isn't expected until high tide later on Wednesday.
"The surge is going to be pushing in later today. The biggest part of the surge is going to be around 4:30 ... due to the high tide," he told "CBS Mornings" Wednesday, warning people against having a false sense of confidence that they can go out on the roads before the surge arrives.
Forecasters also warned that "areas of flash and urban flooding, some of which may be locally significant, are expected across portions of the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and southern Georgia Tuesday into Wednesday, spreading into portions of the eastern Carolinas Wednesday into Thursday."
Ahead of the storm, officials had urged people living in low-lying coastal areas along the Gulf, many of whom were under evacuation notices, to move to higher ground.
Meteorologists forecast a northeastern path for Idalia, tracking over the Gulf of Mexico toward the northwest coast of Florida throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday.
After making landfall along Florida's Gulf Coast, Idalia continued across northern Florida and coastal Georgia and into South Carolina by Wednesday night. It was expected to continue moving up the coast of the Carolinas through Thursday before moving out into the Atlantic, decreasing in strength as it travels.
Hurricane Franklin is not expected to hit Florida, but it will cause rough surf conditions and rip currents. Officials haven't issued any forecasts suggesting that Franklin will make landfall anywhere along the East Coast.
An incoming "long-period swell" in the Atlantic caused by Hurricane Franklin will make the coast susceptible to "high seas, rough surf, an increase in life-threatening rip currents, and beach erosion during high tides during Tuesday and Wednesday," according to the hurricane center.
- emilymae.czachor@paramount.com
- CBS News
- News Editor
Aug 30, 2023 · Life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force wind and isolated tornadoes are likely for portions of the Florida Gulf Coast. According to 10 Tampa Bay chief meteorologist Bobby Deskins, the...
Aug 29, 2023 · At a Glance. Hurricane Idalia is strengthening and could be at Category 4 strength when it makes landfall Wednesday. Catastrophic storm surge, damaging winds, flooding rainfall and threat of...
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