Devendra Kumar
Idalia, once a powerful hurricane, lost its steam and weakened to a tropical storm as it moved west of Savannah, Georgia, on Wednesday. The storm made landfall in the lightly populated Big Bend region of Florida, where it brought devastation and destruction to the Gulf Coast. With maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, Idalia roared ashore early Wednesday, causing widespread damage and power outages. Over 438,000 customers in Florida and Georgia lost electricity, and streets were turned into rivers as the storm surge flooded coastal areas.
The storm’s eye moved inland, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. High winds shredded signs, sent sheet metal flying, and snapped tall trees, causing property damage and affecting daily life. In some areas, storm surge could rise as high as 16 feet, prompting counties to implement curfews and urging residents to stay indoors.
In Florida, there were no confirmed storm-related deaths, although fatal traffic accidents in two counties may be attributed to the storm. Rescue crews, National Guardsmen, and state officials were working to search for anyone in distress, clear debris, and inspect bridges in one of Florida’s most rural regions. Due to the remoteness of the affected areas, search teams may take longer to complete their work compared to past hurricanes in more urban areas.
As Idalia crossed into Georgia, it brought top winds of 90 mph and caused damage to homes and infrastructure. The storm then began to move into the Carolinas, where it would punish the region as a tropical storm overnight. Forecasters predicted that Idalia would move deeper into the Atlantic this weekend, avoiding a possible second landfall.
Residents were left stunned by the flooding that turned Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard into a river, with one resident saying, “This is actually unbelievable. I haven’t seen anything like this in years.” In Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, the power went out before the storm’s center arrived, but the city avoided a direct hit. The governor, Ron DeSantis, made light of the situation, saying, “If they do cut down the whole tree, that is more room for my kids to hit baseballs.”
As the storm passed, residents began to return to their daily lives, with airports in the region planning to restart commercial operations either later Wednesday or Thursday. Meanwhile, officials in Bermuda warned that Idalia could hit the island early next week as a tropical storm, as the outer bands of Hurricane Franklin, a Category 2 storm, lashed the island.