‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Idalia Wreaks Havoc on Florida and Georgia

Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning with maximum sustained winds at 125 mph.

Makatla Ritchter wades through flood waters after having to evacuate her home when the flood waters from Hurricane Idalia inundated it on August 30, 2023 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Hurricane Idalia is hitting the Big Bend area of Florida. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in an update. The storm now moving northward, and its center is located over the southern portion of Georgia.

Federal officials said the storm, which intensified into a Category 4 storm overnight but was downgraded, specifically made landfall near Keaton Beach, along the Apalachee Bay, at around 7:45 a.m. ET. As it hit, the maximum sustained winds were 125 mph, or very close to a Category 4 system.