Hurricane Idalia slowed to a Category 3 storm as it made landfall on the northwest coast of Florida Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center, carrying windspeeds as high as 120 miles per hour and "catastrophic" storm surges.
The NHC in Miami upgraded Idalia to a Category 4 storm, the second-highest on its scale, early Wednesday as it expanded hurricane warnings for areas that now include portions of Georgia and South Carolina. Tropical storm warnings were also issued for the North Carolina and Virginia borders as Idalia gathers strength through the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm was then downgraded to Category 3 and last marked 10 miles south southeast of Perry, Florida, having made landfall on the "Big Bend" coast and travelling north-northeast at around 18 miles per hour at around 9:00 am Eastern time.
9 AM EDT Hurricane #Idalia Update: Catastrophic storm surge occurring along the coast of the Florida Big Bend and damaging winds spreading inland over northern Florida. pic.twitter.com/Ix3XH4VuwX
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023
"Hurricane Hunter aircraft data indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts," the NHC said in its 5:00 am Eastern time update. "Idalia is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Idalia could continue to strengthen before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida in a few hours."
"While Idalia should weaken after landfall, 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," the NHC added.
U.S. airlines cancelled around 850 flights as a result of Idalia's impact, with airports in Tampa, Clearwater and Tallahassee closed as of midnight on Wednesday.
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