Summary:
Hurricane Idalia, the ninth named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region near Apalachee Bay as a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
Idalia formed as a tropical depression on August 27 near the Yucatan Peninsula and rapidly intensified over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm reached Category 4 status with sustained winds of 130 mph and gusts of 160 mph before making landfall over the counties of Taylor, Dixie and Levy in Florida.
The storm surge was as high as 16 feet in some areas, and heavy rainfall of up to 12 inches was also reported. Idalia caused widespread damage in Florida, including power outages, flooding, and structural damage.
Hurricane Idalia was a major storm that caused significant damage in Florida and other parts of the Southeast United States. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but it is clear that the storm will have a lasting impact on the region.
