Florida mansion is marooned on its own tiny island as Hurricane Idalia kills two and lays waste to Big Bend with ‘apocalyptic’ 16ft storm surge, ‘catastrophic’ flooding and 260,000 without power
A mansion along Florida’s Big Bend has been marooned on its tiny island as ‘apocalyptic’ Hurricane Idalia continues to sweep along the coast – with storm surges increasing 7ft in less than an hour.
The monster storm, which was downgraded to a Category 1 as it moved inland, engulfed much of the coastline at the top of the Panhandle on Wednesday morning.
At least two people have died in the hurricane so far, with Pasco County officials confirming one, 40, crashed his Ford Ranger while a second, 59, swerved into a ditch in Gainesville.
Officials say the ‘apocalyptic’ 16ft storm surge has caused catastrophic flooding, as water beaches homes across Steinhatchee with 110mph winds battering the state.
Idalia crossed onto Florida’s Big Bend at Keaton Beach at 7.45 a.m. on Wednesday and is now entering southern Georgia with maximum sustained speeds of 90mph before battering the Carolinas.
The hurricane stretched from Central Florida to southern Georgia, covering around 250 miles, as of Wednesday morning.
It’s the strongest storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region in 127 years, matching an unnamed hurricane in 1896.
Tens of thousands of people are under evacuation orders, and at least 260,000 are without power as flooding is battering the Big Bend coastline.
It is the latest hurricane to batter Florida, which has barely recovered from Hurricane Ian – which cost the state $113 billion to repair.
TARPON SPRINGS: Makatla Richter (L) and her mother, Keiphra Line wade through flood waters after having to evacuate their home on Wednesday morning
TAMPA: Boarded-up homes were flooded under the door as water continued to rise in Tampa Bay
CLEARWATER: Flooding and rainwater whipped the coast as Clearwater Harbor Marina was swallowed by the rising tide on Wednesday morning
CEDAR KEYS: Debris and broken trees littered the roads in Cedar Keys which was battered with 110mph winds
TARPON SPRINGS: Ken Kruse looks out at the flood waters from Hurricane Idalia surrounding his apartment complex on August 30
TARPON SPRINGS: A couple ride their ATV through the flooded streets as they flee their homes
TARPON SPRINGS: A truck attempts to make its way through the floodwater dragging a jet ski behind it
TARPON SPRINGS: Residents look on over the flood water as it continues to rise above one floor of their property
TARPON SPRINGS: Waist-high water has caused residents to be displaced from their homes after being battered by the wind
TAMPA BAY: A woman surveys the flooding on Bayshore Blvd after the area became completely engulfed
NAPLES: Construction equipment sits partially submerged after storm surge from Hurricane Idalia hit Naples
TAMPA BAY: A paddleboarder makes his way along the sea wall in Old Tampa Bay as the water levels continue to rise
GAINESVILLE: A 59-year-old man died in a road accident before Idalia hit landfall in Gainesville
The National Weather Service said: ‘River gauge in Steinhatchee rapidly increased this morning as storm surge moved in with the river gauge increasing from 1 ft to 8 ft in only 1 hour.
‘Last observation was at 830am ET. When we say the storm surge threat would increase rapidly, this is what we meant.’
Idalia is the second storm of a century to hit Keaton Beach, where the hurricane made landfall, in 30 years.
In March 1993, the region was struck by what has been called ‘the storm of the century,’ with wind gusts over 90 miles per hour, tornadoes, and a devastating storm surge with at least seven killed in the county.
Idalia surged to a Category 4 storm in the early hours because of warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching speeds of up to 156mph – before dropping to 125mph shortly after 7 a.m. and 110mph at 9 a.m.
St. Petersburg has been completely cut off from the mainland, with authorities closing major bridges because of the hurricane.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of catastrophic storm surges of up to 12 to 16 feet in the worst affected areas.
Cedar Kay is being hit with almost 9 feet of storm surge, the worst in 109 years with waters still rising rapidly – eclipsing a record from Hurricane Hermine in 2016.
FLAGLER PIER: The structure is battered by huge waves as hurricane Idalia passes through the coast
TAMPA: A truck attempts to travel on a flooded road in Tampa, Florida, on August 30, 2023,
HORSESHOE BEACH: Footage shows Horseshoe Beach entirely underwater as debris washes through a structure on Wednesday
TARPON SPRINGS: Kyan Watson and her dog Brandon brace the floodwaters as they look at their area submerged from the hurricane
TARPON SPRINGS: A man wades through his area with a canoe as he braces for the wind and flooding to hit hard
TAMPA BAY: Storm surges caused a house to be engulfed by water in Tampa Bay in the early hours of Wednesday morning
CLEARWATER: Heavy rain battered the marina shortly after Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday
TARPON SPRINGS: Cars sit in flood waters from Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday morning in Florida
TARPON SPRINGS: People wade through flood waters after their homes were battered by the once-in-a-lifetime storm
CLEARWATER: A marina in Clearwater has been flooded with debris and various items floating in the water
The NOAA tide station at Cedar Key is at 6′ above normal high tide and rising as flooding is significantly higher than predicted
CLEARWATER: Areas more inland survived the worst of the flooding, as police blocked access to a damaged bridge in Clearwater on Wednesday morning
TREASURE ISLAND: Water seeps over the beach in Treasure Island as thousands are warned to take cover
TAMPA: A car struggles to make its way through floodwater in Tampa as the storm moves on to Georgia
ST PETERSBURG: Floodwater submerged a marina in St Petersburg as flooding hit higher levels than predicted
Footage shows Horseshoe Beach entirely underwater as debris washes through a structure.
St. Petersburg Police shared a video of the level of flooding which was sweeping away homes at a mobile trailer park and confirmed they had already rescued one person by 6:50 a.m.
Hurricane Idalia has been branded ‘an unprecedented event’ by the National Weather Service in Tallahassee.
It will be one of only three Category 3 hurricanes to make landfall within 60 miles of Cedar Key.
Hurricane Easy in 1950 and an unnamed hurricane in 1896 are the only others of that strength to make landfall in that area.
Idalia could spawn tornadoes as far south as Tampa and Sarasota, east to Jacksonville, and north to the Georgia coast later today.
Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer Rob Herrin said their concern remains about ‘water and rising water’.
He said: ‘I don’t think we have seen anything of this nature for quite a while in the Tampa Bay area.
‘Rescue units are fearing that residents will walk outside and see it’s sunny outside and think that everything is fine but there is more water coming.’
During a press conference on Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis warned ‘Don’t mess with this storm’ as the power briefly went out from his headquarters.
He added that there have been 15 tornado warnings issued, saying: ‘It’s going to be a significant, significant impact.’
DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties, as 5,500 National Guard members were mobilized to help with evacuations and building defenses.
Meanwhile, 30,000 to 40,000 electricity workers were on standby to help restore power quickly after the hurricane passed.
Footage from the worst affected areas shows flooding in Fort Myers beach – which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian last year – as Tampa Bay is almost completely underwater.
TAMPA: Interstate 275 in Tampa Bay is almost completely flooded on one side as the city braces to be hit with huge surge storms at 8 am
TAMPA: A bridge is covered with water in Tampa, Florida, on August 30, 2023, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall
TAMPA: Residents use kayaks to travel on a flooded road as officials warn more water is coming
TAMPA: Streets are flooded across Tampa as rescue units battle to clear the destruction left in Idalia’s wake
CROSS CITY: People move debris off a highway as the storm continues to travel toward Georgia
TARPON SPRINGS: Police man a roadblock to keep cars from driving through flood waters on Wednesday morning
The northern eyewall of Idalia is now onshore, with the center of the hurricane crossing onto Florida’s Big Bend at 7.45 am
Idalia surged to a Category 4 storm in the early hours because of warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, reaching speeds of up to 156mph – before dropping to 125mph shortly after 7 am
CLEARWATER: Police start the clear up in Clearwater, Florida, as the hurricane starts to travel northeast towards Georgia and the Carolinas
MAYO: People work to free a vehicle stuck on the shoulder amid storm debris after high winds of 110mph
TARPON SPRINGS: Makatla Richter wades through flood waters after having to evacuate her home
The region is braced for another ‘multibillion-dollar insurance industry event’, with some firms restricting their business in Florida because of the common weather events.
State regulations prevent them from raising prices for customers, which they claim forces them to say no to new policies.
The Insurance Information Institute estimates that property and casualty insurers in the state have had cumulative underwriting losses of more than $1 billion for the last three years.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge has been closed to all traffic as sustained wind speeds hit an excess of 50mph.
Over 1,000 people in Sarasota were already without power overnight, and many other areas had the power cut off in advance as a precaution.
North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia have all declared states of emergency, with assistance being provided from both California and New York.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is sending specialized search-and-rescue teams to Orlando and Atlanta.
New York’s Task Force 1, made up of NYPD and fire department employees, has arrived in South Carolina in preparation for rescue efforts.
Craig Fugate, a former FEMA administrator, said that people who have not already left may find themselves cut off, telling CNN: ‘Search and rescue will be the priority.’
Teams will work on ‘power restoration, damage assessments and getting people assistance as fast as they can.’
Cedar Key Commissioner Sue Colson told residents to ‘leave’, adding: ‘It’s not something to discuss.’
CLEARWATER: A bus stop in Clearwater, Florida, is seen submerged by water after landfall on Wednesday
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of catastrophic storm surges of up to 12 to 16 feet in the worst affected areas
TREASURE ISLAND: Live webcams show the coastline being battered by huge waves as Idalai whips up the wind to 125mph
TAMPA: Members of the Tampa Fire Rescue Dept., remove a street pole after large awnings from an apartment building blew off
TAMPA: Zeke Pierce rides his paddle board down the middle of a flooded Bayshore Blvd in downtown Tampa
TREASURE ISLAND: Images show water flooding the coastal area of Treasure Island as benches are submerged
ST PETERSBURG: DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 49 Florida counties, as 5,500 National Guard members were mobilized to help with evacuations and building defenses
It’s the strongest storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region in more than 125 years
Idalia could spawn tornadoes as far south as Tampa and Sarasota, east to Jacksonville, and north to the Georgia coast later today
Idalia is the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida in the last 12 months, following Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and Hurricane Nicole in October 2022.
DeSantis suspended tolls in several counties as he urged residents to finalize their storm and evacuation preparation.
The last hurricane to make landfall in the region was 2016’s Hermine, which made landfall as a Category 1 storm.
More than 30,000 utility workers have been put on standby to make repairs as quickly as possible in the hurricane’s wake.
Webcams in Cedar Key showed a significant rise in sea level, heavy rain, and strong winds as of 1:45 a.m. ET.
Video captured from a US military plane evacuating the Tampa area also showed jaw-dropping footage of a rare St. Elmo’s Fire lightning strike as Idalia crept closer.
The storm could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian, which killed 150 people – more in Florida than any hurricane in almost 90 years.
A tornado watch is now in effect for more than seven million people across central and western Florida, including Tampa, until 6 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
More than a dozen state troopers went door to door warning residents that storm surge could rise as high as 15 feet.
TARPON SPRINGS: Fire is seen as flood waters inundate the area and high-speed winds batter the town
CLEARWATER: Trees have begun to fall amid winds increasing across the Big Bend in Florida
TARPON SPRINGS: Floodwater hits downtown area of Tarpon Springs hours before Idalia made landfall
TAMPA: A video shows the rare St.Elmo fire weather phenomenon on Tuesday in Florida, as the state braces for Idalia
ST PETERSBURG: A wall of water started flooding St Petersburg in the early hours of the morning before landfall
Peak levels of the surge are expected to hit between Chassahowitzka and Aucilla River, with residents advised to follow advice from local officials.
If Tampa Bay is hit with anything above four feet of storm surge and if Cedar Key is battered by more than six feet, then it would set a new record.
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell confirmed that the Biden administration made a supplemental request to Congress for $ 12 billion to support the agency’s disaster relief fund.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled or delayed in preparation for the hurricane, with all flights from Tampa International Airport banning flights from Tuesday.
The FAA confirmed that they were taking additional safety precautions, including backup power generators and protecting equipment inside of air traffic control towers to prevent damage from leaks or broken windows.
Some of the nation’s largest airlines added that they would waive change fees for customers with plans to travel to or through parts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina in the coming days.
Urban search and rescue teams are on standby from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while the Army Corps of Engineers is set to support power generation missions.
Amtrak announced that it was canceling several trains due to the hangover of Idalia, with 12 East Coast routes behind terminated on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The company has also shortened Palmetto routes for those two days, which usually run from New York to Savannah, in Georgia, and will instead stop at Washington DC.
