Hurricane Idalia made its landfall in Florida as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning, where it unleashed life-threatening storm surges and rain.
Drawing strength from the Gulf of Mexico’s waters, Idalia came ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region. It made landfall near Keaton Beach at 7:45 a.m. with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm, now a Category 1, is on track toward southern Georgia and the coast of South Carolina.
Tampa International Airport has also been closed since Tuesday and shared an update to social media on Wednesday that said crews are assessing damage from the storm:
As for how South Florida will be impacted as Idalia continues north, the National Weather Service Miami said “breezy to gusty southwesterly winds” will pick up this morning and there is potential for localized flooding across South Florida today.
For more information on how to stay safe during a hurricane, click here.
Be sure to check back for updates as the storm approaches. Stay safe, Florida!