August 30, 2023 - Idalia makes Florida landfall

Our live coverage of Tropical storm Idalia has moved here.

Storm surges are expected to impact much of the Southeast coast through tonight as Idalia continues its path sustaining tropical storm-force winds of up to 60 mph, according to an 11 p.m. ET update from the National Weather Service (NWS).

Coastal flooding is also expected in Storm Surge Watch areas in North Carolina on Thursday, NWS noted its latest update.

Idalia is currently 15 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina. Here’s where you can track the storm’s path.

The streets of downtown Charleston, South Carolina, are flooded after Idalia on August 30.

Numerous roads are currently closed across Charleston, South Carolina, due to flooding from Idalia, police noted in a social media post Wednesday evening.

Earlier, the National Weather Service (NWS) Charleston said there was major inundation in the area including in downtown Charleston.

“URGENT: Major coastal inundation being reported at Edisto Beach and Downtown Charleston. Water has breached the Charleston Battery. Dunes are breached at Edisto with water flowing under homes and onto roadways,” the NWS said. 

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office also posted a picture on social media of a flooded roadway and warned residents to stay home.

“It’s a good night to stay in. Trees are down. Roads are flooded. If you encounter street flooding, turn around. Don’t drown. This is the scene deputies found on Pinckney Street in McClellanville,” the sheriff’s office said in its post.

The Citrus County Board of Commissioners in Florida issued a mandatory curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time, prohibiting all travel within evacuation Zone A, the county’s sheriff’s office said in a statement Wednesday. 

The statement warns citizens to use “extreme caution when venturing back out” and to not walk or drive through standing water. 

The statement added that there is “an abundance of wildlife that has been displaced as a result of this storm.”

Restoration efforts have begun and will continue “for an unknown period of time,” the sheriff’s office said. Road closures are still in place for the west side of the county, it added.

“US HWY 19 from CR 488 (West Dunnellon Road) to West Venable Street in Crystal River and the portion of roadway from West Gulf to Lake HWY (SR 44) to US HWY 19 is still CLOSED,” the statement said. 

Emergency shelters are scheduled to close Thursday, and some government offices and services will resume normal operations.

The city of Jacksonville began cleanup Wednesday after Hurricane Idalia pushed its way through Florida.

“Luckily, here in Duval (County), we’re spared the worst impacts,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said at a news briefing Wednesday.

Power outages, downed power lines and downed trees remain a concern, Deegan said.

Crews have restored electricity to about 75,000 of the 85,000 customers, the mayor said. 

Duval County Schools will be closed Thursday so officials can clean them up after using them as shelters, she said. Classes will resume on Friday.

This satellite image from 11:21 a.m. EDT shows Hurricane Idalia, center, over Florida and crossing into Georgia, and Hurricane Franklin, right, as it moves along off the East coast of the United States on August 30.

Idalia touched down on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, making it the strongest to make landfall in the Big Bend region in more than 125 years.

Idalia weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday night and continues to weaken as it treks across the Southeast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The center of the storm is now moving through South Carolina and is 60 miles west of Charleston, the center said. In addition to the surge, heavy rain, gusty winds and the threat for tornadoes will continue into the overnight hours for eastern sections of the Carolinas.

Here’s what else you should know:

The water level in Charleston Harbor has exceeded the forecast of 8.7 feet and is now at 9.03 feet, the National Weather Service posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

This is the fifth-highest level ever recorded and is only slightly behind values recorded in 2016 with Hurricane Matthew (9.29 feet) and 2017 with Hurricane Irma (9.92 feet). The highest level was 12.52 feet in 1989 during Hurricane Hugo.

High tide was at 8:24 p.m. ET.

A man was killed after he was hit by a tree as Idalia blew through Georgia, an official said Wednesday.

The victim was cutting a tree on a highway when a tree fell on him, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk told CNN.

Lowndes County is in southern Georgia near the Florida border and includes the city of Valdosta.

Crystal River, a city of about 3,500 people, was “decimated” by Hurricane Idalia, the city manager said Wednesday.

Douglas Baber expressed relief however that there has been no loss of life reported in the town in the heart of Florida’s Big Bend, which bore the brunt of the Category 3 storm as it came ashore.

The water damage however is widespread with the city hall itself getting 8 feet of storm surge, the city manager said.

“We’ll come back,” he told CNN’s Erica Hill. “This city bounces back.”

The center of Tropical Storm Idalia is now moving through South Carolina and is 60 miles west of Charleston, according to the 8 p.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The sustained winds have decreased slightly and are now down to 65 mph.

Strong onshore flow is producing 2 to 5 feet of surge along the coast of the Carolinas. 

Storm surge flooding will peak this evening at high tide. In Charleston, this peak will likely be in the next hour. Water levels are currently at 7.67 feet. The National Weather Service is predicting a peak of 8.7 feet which would be a top 10 level in their historic records and the highest since 2018.

In addition to the surge, heavy rain, gusty winds and the threat for tornadoes will continue into the overnight hours for eastern sections of the Carolinas.

About 150 residents were rescued from flooded neighborhoods in Pasco County as Hurricane Idalia moved through Florida, according to an official.  

The calls to emergency services began at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue Chief Tony Perez.

“85 rescue missions were dispatched, but we were able to help evacuate a total of 150 residents from that area,” he told CNN.

Perez said fire rescue worked hard to ensure that everyone was accounted for. 

Some people did not heed evacuation orders because they didn’t want to leave their homes and belongings. Others did not have the money to leave and wanted to ride out the storm, he said.

Major flooding inundated homes with 3- 5-foot surges, leaving people unable to evacuate themselves. 

Local law enforcement and the electric company are surveying the neighborhoods, going house to house, and making visual inspections to ensure that it is safe to turn the power back on in the area, according to Perez.

Still, Perez said it could have been much worse. If a Category 4 storm had swept through the area “it would have been decimated, and we would probably be talking about body recovery, and we would still be in there working,” he said.

The WC-130J Hercules aircraft from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron departed Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET.

The one time my soul left my body, I was on the flight deck with the pilots. It was dark for the majority of our flight. The lightning was so intense, and the hail hitting the plane was so intense.

“We’re about to go through the eye wall,” a crew member said.

I’m sitting up there with the pilots. We’re rocking and swaying, and all of a sudden, the flight controls start screaming, “Check Altitude. Check Altitude. Check Altitude. Throttle up. Throttle up.” And I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is what happens in the movies.’

And those pilots were just cool, calm and collected, and steered us through it. It was amazing. We had one moment where we dropped really rapidly because we hit a pocket and everybody on the plane literally levitated. We were kind of airborne.

We went from Category 2 to Category 4 in a short amount of time. We were in the eye of the storm for a good eight hours. Just zigzagging in and out, penetrating different parts of the eye wall and then going back into the eye. We knew we were in the eye and that’s when everybody kind of got up. They would get a drink of water.

In the eye itself, it was super calm. There was no turbulence. As soon as we started to rock a little bit everybody ran back to their jump seats and sat down. As we’re crisscrossing in and out, you can feel every time we reentered the eye wall. You could feel the intensity of the turbulence a little bit more, then a little bit more, and a little bit more. Every time.

Everybody’s job is so vital to the mission and so crucial to the safety of that flight that they can’t stop when there’s turbulence. They have to keep doing what they need to do. It was serious. It was all business. Hours later, the aircraft approached Keesler over the glistening water and landed safely.

It felt good to be back on solid ground.

Read more about the flight:

Zeke Pierce rides his paddle board down the middle of a flooded Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, Florida on August 30.

Hurricane Idalia has left its mark on history, proving to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm for parts of Florida.

Idalia was the first major hurricane – Category 3 or stronger – on record to track through Florida’s Apalachee Bay, a northern inlet in the Big Bend.

Here are some of the preliminary reports of rain and wind conditions from the National Weather Service:

Rain:

Wind:

People work to clear I-10 of fallen trees near Madison, Florida, on Wednesday.

A 15-mile stretch of Interstate 10 in Madison County remains closed following Hurricane Idalia, although the department of transportation is working to have it re-opened tonight, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday.

As the state cleans up after the storm, the governor said that all bridges have been cleared to reopen, including the Cedar Key Bridge, which connects the island to the Florida mainland in the hard-hit Big Bend area.

There is only one “unconfirmed fatality” in Florida so far in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia as officials continue to search hard-hit areas, the governor said Wednesday.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is currently looking into a death that involved a “traffic incident,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

There have not yet been any confirmed deaths due to the storm, he said.

Earlier, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said two men were killed in two separate accidents Wednesday morning during severe storm conditions from Idalia. Gaskins said both deaths were weather-related. It’s unclear if DeSantis is talking about one of these crashes.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said most people did leave before the storm made landfall.

DeSantis said the death toll and aftermath of Hurricane Idalia is not as severe as when Hurricane Ian hit the state in September 2022.

“Panicked phone calls of people calling whose homes were filling up with water was something that was very, very ominous,” he said, referring to the impact of Ian.

Many of these calls were coming toward the beginning of the storm, ultimately, leading to a lot of deaths, the governor said. At least 125 people died.

“I remember the feeling of dread that you had when you start to hear those initial reports. That has not been how this storm has been. They were not getting the same type of phone calls,” DeSantis said.

Guthrie said 75% of the initial search of the impacted areas has been completed. He said as of Wednesday evening, crews are still working.

On Thursday, officials will move on to securing and stabilizing hard-hit areas from getting any worse, he said. Crews will also go back through heavily impacted areas for a secondary search to make sure no one is left there.

Officials will start conducting damage assessments in communities of both individual property and public buildings, Guthrie said.

Before making landfall as a Category 3 storm, Hurricane Idalia went through a remarkable period of rapid intensification Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Its maximum winds increased by 55 mph over the course of just 24 hours.

With a vast pool of warm ocean water to draw from, the storm converted that heat into wind power. Strong winds are one of the more dangerous aspects of hurricanes, in addition to storm surge and heavy rainfall.

In a post on Wednesday, meteorologist and hurricane expert Jeff Masters at Yale Climate Connections drew the line between the extra warmth, higher wind speeds and how much damage the storm could inflict. Recent research has suggested that for every 1 degree Celsius that ocean temperatures rise, hurricane wind speeds could increase by as much as 4 to 5% — which in turn can amplify the storm’s destructive potential by 40 to 50%, Masters pointed out.

In 1987, Kerry Emanuel, a professor of atmospheric science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, theorized that hurricane wind speed can be expected to increase by about 5% for every 1 degree Celsius that tropical ocean temperatures rise.

Tom Knutson, a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told CNN that 4 to 5% is “toward the higher end of the range across studies.” Some studies, like one that Knutson authored, showed a 3.75% increase.

But that increase — however small — can dramatically increase a hurricane’s damage potential, Masters explained.

“A 4-5% increase in hurricane winds may not seem like a big deal, but damage from a hurricane increases exponentially with an increase in winds,” Masters wrote. “For example, according to NOAA, a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds will do 10 times the damage of a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds. This includes damage not only from winds, but also from storm surge, inland flooding, and tornadoes.”

More than 460,000 customers are without power in Florida and Georgia on Wednesday evening, according to tracker PowerOutage.Us.

About 99% of customers in Jefferson, Madison and Suwannee in Florida are without power as of 5 p.m.

Tropical Storm Idalia is now heading along the coast of South Carolina. It made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning.

A vehicle drives down a flooded street in New Port Richey, Florida, on Wednesday.

About 4,000 to 6,000 homes were damaged in Pasco County during Hurricane Idalia, according to Pasco County Administrator Mike Carballa. 

Much of the damage occurred along the coast, and homes were inundated with water, Carballa told CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Pasco County, north of Tampa, is in Florida’s Big Bend region, which was where Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning.

Carballa said he watched first responders switch to water rescue operations Wednesday morning because residents did not heed evacuation orders. 

Pasco County had space for 12,000 people in its shelters, according to Carballa, but the county took in around “a couple a hundred.”

Carballa said he received one report of a traffic fatality early Wednesday morning but did not have the details. 

He said that fire rescue teams were able to get everyone out that wanted to leave. 

According to Carballa, this storm was the worst in recent memory. 

Idalia is seen mostly over Georgia and the Carolinas in this satellite image taken at 3:49 pm ET on Wednesday.

Idalia continues to weaken as it moves over southeastern Georgia and is now a 70 mph tropical storm, according to the 5 p.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm will continue to bring the risk of freshwater flooding, storm surge and strong winds to portions of Georgia and the Carolinas into Thursday.

Florida’s biggest concern following Hurricane Idalia is people who do not have power, according to Kevin Guthrie, the state’s director of emergency management.

There are about 250,000 “accounts” without power, he said Wednesday in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper – and he encouraged Floridians without electricity to consider going to a shelter tonight.  

The topography in the Big Bend area, which is where Idalia made landfall, is different from in other parts of the state, and search and rescue efforts could take longer, Guthrie added.

Officials on the southeastern coast of North Carolina are preparing for the last of Hurricane Idalia to arrive Thursday morning before the storm heads off land.  

There is currently an “enhanced tornado risk” in New Hanover County, North Carolina, which is operating under a “partial Emergency Operations Center activation,” according to emergency officials. The county is home to Wilmington, Wrightsville and Carolina Beaches among other towns.

Idalia is expected to pass about 15 miles off the coast between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Thursday, with the worst conditions likely occurring during its closest passage to New Hanover County, between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m., New Hanover County Director of Emergency Management Steven Still said.

Still said officials expect “moderate wind impacts” and sustained winds of about 34 miles per hour, with peak gusts up to 40 miles per hour. Forecasters anticipate around three to 4 inches of rainfall, which will coincide with the King Tide.  

The biggest concern was visitors for the upcoming holiday weekend who may not be strong swimmers underestimating ocean currents, Still said, warning that the combined swells from Hurricane Franklin and now Idalia make for dangerous marine conditions.

Still repeatedly warned that from this point on, only experienced surfers and swimmers should be in the water. 

CNN observed dozens of surfers in the ocean at Wrightsville Beach, with single red flag warnings flying at the lifeguard stands.

All flights out of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport have been canceled for the rest of the day, the airport posted on social media Wednesday.

The airport is still open, but no flight will be leaving, the post said.

“Passengers should continue to check with their airline for rebooking options,” the airport said. 

Hurricane Idalia is currently moving toward the Savannah area as a Category 1 storm.

Government offices for the city of Savannah will remain closed on Thursday due to weather associated with Hurricane Idalia, the city announced in a news release Wednesday. 

Emergency essential services like “public safety, sanitation, water and sewer, stormwater, park and tree, and traffic engineering will respond at full capacity as weather permits,” according to the release. 

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper urged residents to stock up on supplies and stay off flooded roads when Hurricane Idalia hits the area with heavy rainfall and localized flooding.

A state of emergency was declared Monday for the state and a tropical storm warning is in effect for the entire coast of the state, Cooper said.

He authorized the National Guard and water rescue teams are ready to deploy if needed, the governor added.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Perry, Florida, on Wednesday.

There have been reports of people looting in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Steinhatchee, a village in hard-hit Taylor County, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday.

And he warned there would be consequences.

“We are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” he said at a news conference, noting that he told all state personnel to protect people’s personal property.

The governor said many people who are “advocates and proponents” of the Second Amendment live in the area that includes Taylor County. After previous disasters in other parts of the state, he saw signs in people’s yards that said: “You loot, we shoot.”

“So I would not do it,” he added.

The governor also pledged to hold people accountable “from a law enforcement perspective at a minimum.”

A vehicle moves through flood waters in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on Wednesday.

Hurricane Idalia roared across Florida’s Big Bend Wednesday morning as a dangerous and record-breaking Category 3 storm, leaving a deadly trail of destruction from powerful winds, pounding rain, and catastrophic storm surge.

Many organizations began preparing ahead of the storm’s arrival and are already on the ground responding to the disaster.

Learn about ways you can help support relief efforts by clicking here.

CNN Impact Your World will continue to monitor and vet ways to help and update as information comes in.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said he doesn’t think the storm will be as bad as previous hurricanes that have hit the state.  

The governor said that it does not appear that the storm will “require evacuations” or that South Carolina will need to close state agencies.

McMaster encouraged citizens in the impacted area to remain inside their homes as the storm passes later tonight.  

The governor said he spoke to President Joe Biden Wednesday who “called just a few minutes ago to reaffirm that they were standing by with whatever help they could give.” 

The state has four shelters currently open and may open more depending on need, according to the state’s director of Social Services, Michael Leach.  

The governor declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.  

An electric pole is seen fallen on the ground in Steinhatchee, Florida, on Wednesday.

People in coastal areas of Florida should stay inside their homes even though Hurricane Idalia has already passed through, a top law enforcement official said Wednesday.

“If you don’t have to go somewhere, don’t go,” Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett said.

Downed trees and power lines could be dangerous, the sheriff said. People walking around outside could also interfere with rescue and clean-up efforts.

More than 75 people were rescued in high-flooded areas in St. Petersburg, Florida, after Idalia moved through on Wednesday, the city said.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue performed the rescues, the city said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Public safety teams also rescued a mother and her 12-year-old son in Hernando County, Florida, another hard-hit area, county officials said.

The mother and son were trying to leave Pine Island during the height of the storm on Wednesday morning, county Commissioner Brian Hawkins said.

Hurricane Idalia is another example of the impact of the climate crisis, President Joe Biden said Wednesday, and he talked about the measures his team is taking to address the immediate needs of the storm-hit states.

“When I took office, I directed my team to raise our game in how we lead and coordinate our responses to natural disasters,” the president added, also mentioning the Maui wildfires as another example of where the federal government is helping to respond to extreme weather.

Biden said he talked to governors from the states where Hurricane Idalia is expected to have the most impact, bringing heavy rain and wind.

He noted that his FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will travel to Florida later Wednesday and meet Thursday with Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The president said he is ready to mobilize any federal resources needed by the states.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the response to Hurricane Idalia at the White House on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden is delivering remarks from the White House on Hurricane Idalia after it made landfall in Florida earlier Wednesday.

The president is discussing the ongoing federal response to the storm.

Idalia was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region in more than 125 years, and it briefly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane before landfall.

Now a Category 1 storm, the hurricane has traveled out of north Florida and into Georgia, bringing heavy rain and sustained winds.

The Biden administration has mobilized more than 1,500 federal personnel and more than 540 urban search and rescue team personnel who are on the ground, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 

Shortly before delivering remarks at the White House, Biden posted a photo on X where he said he had spoken to the governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina about the storm.

A pine tree lays across a home in Betton Hills, Florida, after being uprooted by Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday.

Hurricane Idalia has already left its mark on history, proving to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm for parts of Florida.

Strongest storm to hit region in over a century: With maximum winds of 125 mph, Idalia was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region in more than 125 years.

The last storm of Idalia’s strength to slam the region was an unnamed Category 3 hurricane in 1896. The unnamed hurricane also had sustained winds of 125 mph at landfall.

Idalia was the first major hurricane – Category 3 or stronger – on record to track through Florida’s Apalachee Bay, a northern inlet in the Big Bend.

Record-breaking storm surge: More than 8 feet of storm surge sent water levels in Cedar Key, Florida, to 6.8 feet above their highest normal tides on Wednesday morning. This shattered the previous high water level of 5.99 feet from Hurricane Hermine in 2016.

In Tampa Bay, water levels surpassed 4.5 feet on Wednesday morning, exceeding the previous high water mark of 3.79 feet from Tropical Storm Eta in 2020.

Clearwater Beach also set a new record-high water level at 4.05 feet, surpassing the previous record of 4.02 feet from the 1993 Storm of the Century.

Storm surge rushing through the Steinhatchee River in Steinhatchee, Florida, also caused water levels there to rise 9 feet in two hours and hit record levels there.

Rare warnings: The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued two extreme wind warnings Wednesday morning as the strongest winds from Idalia came ashore. These types of warnings are only issued when sustained winds of 115 mph or greater are expected in an area.

Until Wednesday, only 27 extreme wind warnings had ever been issued in the continental US. The majority of these warnings have been issued in Florida.

President Joe Biden was briefed Wednesday morning on Hurricane Idalia’s path as the storm pummels Florida and Georgia, the White House said.

The president is being “regularly” briefed by his senior team, it said.

Biden is set to deliver remarks on the storm and federal response Wednesday afternoon.

As Hurricane Idalia traveled up the East Coast Wednesday, Biden called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, according to the White House.

“He told each of the Governors that they and their states have his administration’s full support,” the White House said in a statement.

Biden also directed FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell to travel to Florida Wednesday to survey damage from the storm.

On whether Biden still plans to travel to his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware this weekend, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday, there are no “changes or any additions to the president’s travel,” instead pointing to a series of steps Biden has taken both in public events and behind closed doors Wednesday ensuring Biden is “engaged directly with local elected officials.”

More on the federal response: The Biden administration has mobilized more than 1,500 federal personnel and more than 540 urban search and rescue team personnel who are on the ground, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The US Coast Guard is supporting search and rescue, and there are three disaster survivor assistance teams deployed in Florida, it said.

There are critical supplies including 1.3 million meals and 1.6 million liters of water “available pending requests from the states,” FEMA said. The US Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services has also approved early issuance of September SNAP benefits for households receiving benefits, it added.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is also pre-positioned for power restoration efforts. 

Idalia is seen mostly over Georgia and the Carolinas in this satellite image taken at 2:11pm ET on Wednesday.

Idalia’s maximum sustained winds are now 75 mph with higher gusts and it remains a Category 1 hurricane, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center.

The center of Idalia is about 100 miles west-southwest of Savannah, Georgia, and is moving to the northeast at 20 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extend outward up to 230 miles.

Idalia remains dangerous even as the cyclone slowly loses strength. Southern Georgia and portions of South Carolina will bear the brunt of hurricane-force wind gusts and heavy rain Wednesday afternoon.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell speaks about Hurricane Idalia during the daily briefing at the White House on Wednesday.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters she briefed President Joe Biden Wednesday about response efforts around Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall in Florida early this morning.

The official said she will travel later today to the state, where she’ll join Gov. Ron DeSantis “to do assessments and see firsthand what the impacts from this storm are.”

During the briefing Wednesday with Biden, the president contacted DeSantis “to let him know that the federal family continues to be there to support him,” while the Florida governor, Criswell said, relayed “all of his needs are met currently.”  

Criswell acknowledged it’s “still too soon to assess the total damages,” but told reporters that Idalia remains “the strongest storm to hit this part of Florida, to make landfall in this part of Florida, in over 100 years.” 

In a subsequent exchange, the FEMA administrator told CNN’s Jeremy Diamond that “the president’s main concern is making sure that we are bringing everything that we have in to support these states.”  

Despite concerns around FEMA’s disaster relief fund, she said there remains “plenty of funding to be able to support our ongoing efforts in Maui, as well as this event to include Florida, Georgia, South Carolina as needed.” 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday afternoon that while the eye of Hurricane Idalia has now passed through the state, the storm’s bands continue to impact parts of Florida.

Idalia caused power outages, flooded cities and made several major bridges connecting Florida islands to the mainland inaccessible

Here’s are some images showing the hurricane’s impact in the state:

A boat is stranded near a road in Jena, Florida, on Wednesday.

Makatla Ritchter, left, and her mother Keiphra Line wade through flood waters after having to evacuate their home in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Rescue workers with Tidewater Disaster Response wade through a tidal surge while looking for people in need of help in Steinhatchee, Florida.

A vehicle is partially submerged in flood waters in Cedar Key, Florida.

North Houston Pole Line utility crews stage at Casino Beach on Santa Rosa Island in Northwest Florida on Wednesday.

A store owner uses a sump pump to try to keep water out of his store in Tarpon Springs.

Debris is strewn across a flooded street near the Steinhatchee Marina.

Daniel Dickert wades through water in front of his home in Steinhatchee.

Members of the National Guard prepare their equipment in Mayo, Florida, as they wait for instructions on where to respond.

People work to free a vehicle stuck on the shoulder of a road near Mayo.

Reporters wade through flood waters as it inundates the downtown area of Tarpon Springs early Wednesday.

A curfew for Madison County, Florida, which is located east of Tallahassee and borders Georgia, will go into effect starting at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday until 8 a.m. ET Thursday, authorities said.  

About 9,500 customers are in the dark as of 1:55 p.m. ET, according to PowerOutage.us.

The county has a population of just over 18,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  

Hurricane Idalia knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of customers in Florida and Georgia.

In Florida, more than 272,000 outages have been reported, according to tracker PowerOutage.us. Most of them are located in the northern portion of the state which bore the brunt of the storm. 

In Georgia, about 108,000 customers are without power, the tracker said.

Officials in Florida have said utility workers are already in affected areas working to restore power. Federally, the US Army Corps of Engineers is also pre-positioned for power restoration efforts. 

The National Hurricane Center’s first forecast on Saturday — when Idalia was still a tropical depression near Cozumel — projected the storm’s path nearly perfectly.

The projected track called for a landfall on Wednesday morning of a hurricane within 10 miles of the eventual landfall location of Florida’s Keaton Beach, according to a CNN analysis of NHC forecasts for the storm.

All 15 of the forecasts issued as the storm progressed from Saturday to Wednesday pegged landfall in the Ben Bend region of Florida on Wednesday morning, which ended up being what occurred.

By early Monday morning, and the seventh forecast, the NHC explicitly called for Idalia to reach major hurricane status of Category 3 or greater in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of landfall, but previous forecast discussions mentioned that it was an increasing probability.

Some schools in North Carolina are closing early or canceling activities as Hurricane Idalia moves toward the state.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools have canceled all after-school activities Wednesday evening, the district in the Charlotte region said on its website.  

The district has more than 141,000 students across 181 schools, according to the district.  

Brunswick County schools are operating on early release Wednesday and will be closed Thursday.

A schedule for Friday is still to be determined, depending on the weather, the school said.

New Hanover County Schools announced all schools will be closed and transition to remote instruction on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

All after-school activities scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled, with the exception of after-school care today. 

You may have seen some spaghetti models showing Idalia looping back to hit Florida after it exits the US Thursday.

A track like this isn’t impossible, but it’s highly unlikely. An eastward course across the Atlantic is the most likely scenario, as evidenced by the National Hurricane center’s latest forecast:

So why was a forecast model showing a track that would take Idalia back into Florida?

Forecast models are computer simulations of weather data used every day by meteorologists to help put together a picture of future weather. These models are incredible tools, but are only as good as the observed data that feeds them, which can vary wildly several days before a given forecast day, especially in the open ocean.

This is why meteorologists don’t treat one model simulation, or run, as gospel. Instead, they look at multiple models and trends for what they show over time.

In this case, one model — the Global Forecast System (GFS) — predicted that Idalia would loop back around and hit Florida next week, a trend it has since moved away from in favor of a track similar to Idalia’s current NHC forecast.

Hurricane Idalia knocked down a 100-year-old oak tree at the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee, Florida, the first lady said.

Casey DeSantis posted on X — formerly Twitter — that she was home with other family members when the tree went down. She shared a photo of it nearly split in half in front of the house.

DeSantis said no one was injured.

As Flood-prone Charleston, South Carolina, prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Idalia, the city has moved additional pumps and equipment into place to deal with the storm.  

King Tide is a term to describe exceptionally high tides during a full or new moon, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

High tide in Charleston is expected to take place at 8:24 p.m. tonight.  

Charleston has just under 420,000 people, according to the US Census Bureau. 

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks from the State Operations Center on Wednesday.

Georgia officials are staying vigilant as Hurricane Idalia crosses into the state.

The governor said that his administration has been in contact with the Federal Emergency Management Agency ahead of landfall.  

Kemp said that his office had reports of trees down and power outages in the southern part of the state. The governor also said that crews were working to clean up blockages on Interstate 75 in southern Georgia.  

Members of the National Guard prepare their equipment in Mayo, Florida, as they wait for instructions on where to respond on Wednesday.

In the wake of Hurricane Idalia making landfall in Florida, the National Guard has been helping with search and rescue efforts and damage assessments on Wednesday, according to Florida Adjutant General Maj. Gen. John D. Haas.

The National Guard is working with each individual county emergency operation center to provide this support, he said at a news conference.

The National Guard is fully mobilized with about 5,500 members activated, including airmen supporting the response, Haas said.

Florida is also getting equipment and other assistance from other states, Haas said. This includes truck companies from South Carolina and Tennessee and three helicopters from Kentucky, he said.

“At the same time, Maryland, Tennessee and Colorado are standing by in case we need additional air assets,” Haas said.

Utility workers are working to restore power Wednesday to areas of Florida hit by Idalia, Gov. Ron DeSantis said, as he announced that the eye of the hurricane has passed through the state.

“The eye of Hurricane Idalia has left the state of Florida. The state is still being impacted by the storm’s bands and we’re seeing that particularly in the northern part of the state,” DeSantis said at the state’s emergency operations center in Tallahassee.

The counties that have the most outages were “in the main pathway of the storm,” the governor said. Restoration efforts started “as soon as it was safe to do so,” he added.

He said officials anticipate that the number of outages could continue to rise, but so will the number of outages resolved, he said.

More than 262,000 customers who’d lost power have had it restored, and there are “more than 250,000 accounts that are currently out of power and in need of restoration,” DeSantis added.

Urban search and rescue teams have also been deployed to the areas affected by the storm, DeSantis said. That includes National Guard members who are working to clear the roads of debris, he said.

Several other agencies are also assisting, according to DeSantis.

Here’s a look at the areas without power:

CNN’s Paradise Afshar contributed reporting to this post.

The Tampa airport said it will reopen to inbound flights Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET.  

The airport will fully reopen, including departing flights, early Thursday.  

Officials reported a small amount of flooding on Wednesday morning but said it did not impact the runways. The airport posted on social media that it “sustained minimal damage” from the storm.  

Tampa airport closed Tuesday just after midnight in advance of Hurricane Idalia.

Gov. Ron deSantis confirmed the reopening of the Tampa airport in a news conference Wednesday, and said the airports in Gainesville and Tallahassee are also slated to reopen in the morning.

CNN’s Paradise Afshar contributed reporting to this post.

Idalia is seen over Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in this satellite image taken at 12:01pm ET on Wednesday.

Idalia’s maximum sustained winds are now 85 mph, with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center’s latest position update. Idalia is located about 25 miles northeast of Valdosta.

Damaging winds continue over southern Georgia. A sustained wind of 43 mph with a wind gust of 56 mph was recently reported at Moody Air Force Base in southern Georgia.

Hurricane Idalia’s worst impacts have shifted into Georgia, where the strongest winds are combining with the heaviest rain and threat of flooding.

Idalia will continue to lash Georgia until Wednesday evening, when its center will cross into South Carolina.

Idalia’s outer rainbands have already begun to affect southern South Carolina. Conditions there will continue to worsen from south to north through Wednesday.

Flood watches extend from Florida to North Carolina. 

The Alafia River in Hillsborough County, Florida, has been pushed to “major flood stage” from Hurricane Idalia’s “significant” storm surge and is leading to road closures, according to a county news release.

Around 8 a.m. ET Wednesday morning, the Alafia River reached 6.56 feet, which is a major flood stage, according to the release. That level is expected to rise because of heavy rains, storm surge and a high tide this afternoon, it added.

“Alafia River flooding will impact roads and neighborhoods from the river mouth at Tampa Bay through Bell Shoals Road to the east, with the area along the Alafia River between Gibsonton and U.S. Hwy. 301 facing the greatest threat,” the release said.

Road closures throughout Hillsborough County include: 

Workers clear tree branches from Interstate 75 near Gainesville, Florida, on Wednesday.

Two men were killed in two separate accidents during severe storm conditions from Hurrican Idalia this morning, said Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Sgt. Steve Gaskins.  

These are the first reported deaths as a result of Idalia.  

A 59-year-old Gainesville man was driving a Toyota pickup truck in “extremely rainy conditions” about 6 a.m. ET Wednesday when the driver swerved and veered into a ditch on the north side of State Route 20, according to an accident report from the highway patrol. 

According to a separate crash report, a 40-year-old Spring Hill man was driving a pickup truck at 6:15 a.m. ET on St. Joe Road in Pasco County, east of Interstate 75, during inclement weather. The driver was “traveling too fast for conditions” and “lost control,” according to the highway patrol. 

Both drivers were pronounced dead on the scene and both accidents are weather-related, Gaskins said.  

As Hurricane Idalia makes its way across northern Florida and into Georgia, officials continue to warn residents of the dangers of traversing through some areas impacted by the storm.

“The worst of the storm is not over for us,” Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast told CNN’s John Berman. “While the hurricane made landfall several hours ago, its affects are going to continue to play out for a long time to come. The storm surge is going to be a continuing event well into the hours of darkness tonight.” 

Citrus County is located along the Central Ridge of Florida, about 75 miles north of Tampa. 

Downed power lines are seen in Jena, Florida, on Wednesday.

There are more than 330,000 customers without power in both Florida and Georgia as Hurricane Idalia cuts across the Southeast.

Here’s what you can do to stay safe if you’re without power:

The basics: It’s crucial to ensure electric appliances are disconnected to avoid any harm or damage from power surges, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA also recommends keeping freezers and refrigerators closed to help maintain cooler temperatures for food preservation.

For good measure, turn off the main power breaker in your house and do not use any devices that are wet.

Watch out for carbon monoxide: Generators should only be used outdoors and placed more than 20 feet away from doors and windows, even if they are closed.

The devices emit carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas that can be deadly.

The CDC also recommends ensuring battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors are placed near sleeping areas.

Discard flooded and too-warm food: Food that has been comprised by floodwater should not be consumed and should be thrown away, officials advise.

Refrigerated food that reaches at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit should be discarded, FEMA says.

If you have medications that require refrigeration, find out how long they can be without it before their safety expires.

Use flashlights instead of candles: Avoid using candles during a blackout if possible. If you must use them, keep them away from anything that could catch fire and do not leave them unattended, the CDC says. Ensure a fire extinguisher is available and those around you know how to use it.

Find more tips here.

As Idalia continues to pound the Southeast, officials from the states feeling the impact are getting in front of the cameras to keep their residents updated on how the storm is affecting their area.

Here’s what’s on the schedule for Wednesday so far:

A flash flood emergency has been issued for Brooks and Lowndes counties, including Valdosta, until 12:45 p.m. ET.

Between 3 to 6 inches of rain have fallen already from Hurricane Idalia, and additional amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible this afternoon and evening. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Heather Burdine and Patricia McCoury load sand bags onto a truck on Tybee Island near Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday.

Savannah officials caution the worst is to come for the coastal city as Hurricane Idalia crosses into Georgia.

“We are extremely concerned about what this may mean for us,” Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson said during a Wednesday news conference.  

“The threat is real,” Chatham Emergency Management Agency’s Dennis Jones said, adding that weather will start “to get really, really bad” around 2 p.m. ET this afternoon and continue into the evening.

The city’s fire department has predeployed equipment to areas that may be cut off due to bridge closures, City Manager Joseph Melder said.  

Johnson said that he has been in touch with the White House, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Georgia’s two US senators.  

“We are thinking and praying for our friends in Florida,” Johnson added. 

Savannah has a population of just over 148,000, according to the US Census.  

A small structure, bottom left, is seen floating away from the Steinhatchee Marina in Steinhatchee, Florida, on Wednesday.

Water levels on the Steinhatchee River, in the town of Steinchatchee in Florida’s Big Bend region, near where Hurricane Idalia made landfall, rose more than 9 feet in about 2 hours on Wednesday morning. The water level reached a height more than 8 feet higher than the normal highest tides, exceeding the record set during Hurricane Hermine in 2016 by about a foot. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects this level of flooding submerges areas within 3 miles of the coast, with water up to 4 feet deep, bringing significant to catastrophic damage to Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach and adjacent areas in Taylor and Dixie Counties.

Smoke rises from a fire as flood waters inundate the downtown area of Tarpon Springs, Florida, on early Wednesday.

Hurricane Idalia now has maximum sustained winds of 90 mph, with stronger gusts, making it a Category 1 hurricane as the center of the storm is crossing into southern Georgia, according to the latest National Hurricane Center update.

Idalia is about 15 miles south-southeast of Valdosta, Georgia, moving north-northeast at 20 mph.

Although Idalia will weaken further while the center is inland, it is still expected to be a hurricane through this afternoon or evening while moving across southeastern Georgia and southern South Carolina.

“High water levels continue along the Gulf Coast,” the hurricane center said.

It made landfall earlier Wednesday morning along Florida’s western Big Bend region as a strong Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 125 mph. It was a Category 4 storm in the hours ahead of landfall.

While Hurricane Idalia snarls flights in and out of Florida, aviation officials are dealing with the impacts and preparing for the storm to impact other areas.   

The Federal Aviation Administration said its air traffic controllers are continuously looking for clear routes in and out of Florida airports. Flight tracking sites showed planes flying in and out of the state, particularly along the Atlantic coast.    

The FAA said it was holding Miami-bound flights Wednesday morning at the request of American Airlines. American Airlines didn’t immediately comment on its request. It was also slowing the volume of all airlines’ flights into Florida so it could find clear airspace.   

The Tampa International Airport remained closed after closing just after midnight on Tuesday. Officials were assessing the damage and anticipated a decision Wednesday morning about when the airport would reopen. Spokesperson Beau Zimmer reported some flooding at the airport. 

“It’s outside the safety area, so it’s not impacting our runways,” Zimmer told CNN.   

The Sarasota-Bradenton airport reopened Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. ET after closing Tuesday evening.   

Overall, more than 900 flights were canceled Wednesday and more than 1,400 delayed, according to FlightAware. Although about one in every six flights nationwide touches a Florida airport, airlines appeared to have successfully isolated the impacts and prevented a domino meltdown so far. The major carriers each canceled fewer than 5% of their flights as of Wednesday morning.   

The impact on travelers would be shifting northward as the day went on, officials noted. The FAA warned of potential disruptions at the Charlotte, North Carolina airport.   

Multiple airlines moved aircraft out of the storm’s path. Delta Air Lines said it had moved planes to Atlanta, Minneapolis and Detroit. Southwest Airlines said it had moved aircraft out of Tampa to other locations.   

Cedar Key Fire Rescue is warning residents to stay off the roads after Hurricane Idalia made landfall near the town on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Photos posted to the fire department’s Facebook account show downed trees, debris and flooding.

In an earlier post on Wednesday morning, the department wrote:

Following Hurricane Idalia’s landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, nearly 264,000 energy customers are in the dark as the storm moves inland. 

As of 10:30 a.m. ET, at least 263,964 customers are without power, according to poweroutage.com.

The outages continue to be concentrated around the Big Bend region of Florida with outages in Taylor County at more than 81% of customers, Dixie County at more than 78% and Lafayette at more than 76%.

Farther inland, in Suwannee County, more than 95% of customers are without power and 80% are dark in Columbia County.

In southern Georgia, more than 99% of customers are without power in the small county of Echols, nearly 76% of customers have lost power in Brooks County and Lowndes County is 54% out.

Hurricane Idalia is expanding its impact on the Southeast as the powerful hurricane tracks farther inland.

The storm stretched from Central Florida to southern Georgia, around 250 miles, as of Wednesday morning.

Hurricane-force winds slammed inland parts of northern Florida near Idalia’s center. Winds gusted to 85 mph in Perry, Florida — which is 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee — as Idalia passed nearby and the center is moving into Georgia now.

Idalia’s strong winds are not just confined to its center. Tropical storm-force winds span 175 miles, from Tampa and Orlando northward to Jacksonville and into Valdosta, Georgia, where a 67 mph wind gust was reported.

The most-damaging wind gusts will expand across more of northern Florida and push into southern Georgia by late Wednesday morning.

Winds aren’t the only threat. Water levels along Florida’s Gulf Coast remained at record highs after several feet of storm surge. More surge is expected along the Atlantic Coast next, in places like Savannah in Georgia, Charleston in South Carolina and Wilmington in North Carolina, as Idalia keeps tracking across the Southeast.

These are the major locations that Hurricane Idalia will lash with heavy rain, gusty winds and storm surge for the remainder of Wednesday and into Thursday morning.

Florida:

Tallahassee

Gainesville

Georgia:

Savannah

Atlanta

South Carolina:

Charleston

North Carolina:

Wilmington

Track the storm here.

Hurricane Idalia’s center is moving into Georgia at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning and the highest sustained winds are at 105 mph, keeping the storm as a Category 2.

The center of the storm is located less than 25 miles south of Valdosta, Georgia.

Damaging, hurricane-force winds will be spreading further into the state in the next couple hours.

Valdosta recently measured a wind gust of 67 mph.

Vehicles navigate over a flooded Interstate 275 in Tampa Bay on Wednesday before it was closed.

Major bridges that connect the city of St. Petersburg to the mainland have been closed due to the hurricane, according to online data from the Florida Department of Transportation.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that connects south St. Petersburg with the mainland of Tampa Bay is closed, along with the part of Interstate 275 that connects St. Petersburg with Tampa.

Smaller bridges, including State Road 60 and US Route 92, are also closed, according to the department’s website.  

Road access to the smaller barrier islands is also closed, Pinellas County Emergency Management said.

A man turns his motorcycle around on 26th Street as South Bermuda Boulevard is impassable in Tampa on Wednesday.

Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue Public Information Officer Rob Herrin told CNN their concern remains “water and rising water” as Hurricane Idalia passes the community. 

Herrin says prepositioned teams are beginning to survey low-lying areas in the community and doing an immediate assessment of damage and needs. He says rescue teams can then be deployed as needed. 

Herrin warned people about unusually high tides saying water could continue to rise in his community even after the storm passes. 

He said the rescue units fear “that residents will walk outside and see it’s sunny outside and think that everything is fine but there is more water coming.”

Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) “has shut down power to” several portions of Hernando County “for emergency protective measures to protect life safety,” said a county tweet. 

“WREC has shut down power to all of Pine Island, Bayport, Hernando Beach, Weeki Wachee and Aripeka as a result of storm surge,” said the county. 

Hernando County currently has more than 2,000 customers without power as of 9:38 a.m. ET according to PowerOutage.US

Hernando County is located a few miles north of the Tampa metro area.

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell joined CNN this morning and warned that as Idalia moves inland, residents in the path of the storm in Georgia and South Carolina “still need to take this very serious.” 

Criswell said there are parts in those two states “that are prone to catastrophic inland flooding.” 

As these inland areas receive excessive rain and increased wind from Idalia, Criswell said, “people need to be really cognizant of those areas that they know can flood” and make sure they wait until the water recedes to walk or drive in their area.

Criswell implored residents in affected areas that the “biggest thing people can do right now is listen to their local officials.” 

“They are going to tell them what the current state of the storm is where they are at,” she added.

The US 41 North Bridge in Port Charlotte, Florida, and US Highway 41 South Bridge in Punta Gorda, Florida, have been “shut down due to flooded roadways,” the city said in a release. 

Punta Gorda is located north of Fort Myers and has a population of more than 20,000 people, according to the US Census.  

Traffic that is also trying to exit Interstate 75 at two exits in the city is being diverted back on the freeway due to flooding, the city added.  

Power outage numbers are increasing after Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida’s western Big Bend region.

There are currently 232,064 customers without power, according to PowerOutage.us.

Nearly 4,500 people are staying in shelters in Hurricane Idalia’s impact area, according to online data from the Red Cross. 

A shelter in Largo, Florida, just north of St. Petersburg, has the largest population in a single shelter at 442, according to online data from the aid group.

More than 100 shelters in the storm’s path are in operation according to Red Cross data.

Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the shelters were operated by the Red Cross. The aid organization helps manage shelter data. The shelters listed on its website are not all managed by the aid group.

Idalia churns over Florida's west coast in this satellite image taken at 9:01am ET on Wednesday.

Hurricane Idalia has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph with higher gusts, making it a Category 2 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 9 a.m. ET update.

An automated weather station at Perry Airport recently reported a sustained wind of 62 mph with a gust of 85 mph within the past hour.

“Catastrophic storm surge (is) occurring along the coast of the Florida Big Bend and damaging winds (are) spreading inland over northern Florida,” the hurricane center said.

Storm surge from Hurricane Idalia is setting records for highest water level in multiple locations on Florida’s Gulf Coast, from the Tampa Bay area through the Big Bend region.

New water level records set today include:

And here’s a look at why storm surge can be so hazardous:

Hurricane Idalia rapidly intensified Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning and maxed out as dangerous Category 4 before weakening slightly ahead of landfall. It did so as it tapped into some of the warmest waters on the planet, and joined a growing list of major storms like Hurricane Ian that rapidly intensified before landfall in recent years.

Rapid intensification is precisely what it sounds like — when a storm’s winds strengthen rapidly over a short amount of time. Scientists have defined it as a wind speed increase of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less.

Scientists have been alarmed at how warm ocean temperatures have been this year, including in the Gulf if Mexico and around southern Florida, where sea surface temperature climbed to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this summer.

Average sea surface temperature in Idalia’s path was recently measured at nearly 88 degrees Fahrenheit — a record there since data began in the early 1980s.

Idalia did weaken slightly to a Category 3 before landfall, “but too late and not enough to make a difference” in the impacts, McNoldy posted on social media Wednesday morning.

Rapid intensification has been happening to more storms as they approach landfall, making them harder to prepare for and more dangerous to the people who stayed behind expecting a weaker storm.

It’s just one of the ways experts say the climate crisis is making hurricanes more dangerous, as warmer waters allow for storms to strengthen quicker. More than 90% of the planet’s warming in the past 50 years has taken place in the oceans, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Residents along the Alafia River in Florida’s Hillsborough County will experience flooding today as it “should crest this morning, and high water may continue through the afternoon,” county officials said Wednesday.

“Residents can expect 4 to 6.5 feet of water from the Gulf of Mexico to affect coastal areas,” according to a morning update. “Residents along the Alafia River between Gibsonton and U.S. Hwy. 301 face the greatest threat and should expect moderate to major flooding with some flooding up through Riverview due to Hurricane Idalia and storm surge effects.”

The Alafia River is about 25 miles long and spans from Tampa Bay to Lithia, Florida. 

Some background: A storm surge occurs when winds push water onto shore, accounting for about half of hurricane fatalities between 1963 and 2012, according to a 2014 report in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents to not let their guard down, as more flooding is expected from Hurricane Idalia this afternoon.

“We have had some damage from the winds, downed trees, limbs, those types of things. But what we are mainly concerned with is the same thing that you’re experiencing up in Crystal River. We have flooding, extensive flooding along our coast right now. We have 126 miles of waterfront land here in Tampa, and that is only going to rise. We are at low tide. The tide is coming in. We expect that king high tide around noon to 1 (p.m. ET) and that’s going to bring in several additional feet of water,” Castor told CNN.

She added that two bridges connecting Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are closed until this evening, and both Harbor and Davis islands are inaccessible.

As Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida and a tornado watch remains in effect in many areas, CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar advises residents who have decided to hunker down in their homes on how to stay safe.

“In a tornado warning your safe spot is the lowest level of your home,” Chinchar said. “If your home is taking in flood waters you don’t want to go to the lowest level of your home, you want to go to the highest level of your home.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Florida residents to heed emergency officials’ warnings to take cover and “hunker down until it gets past you.” 

“You don’t want to be messing around with these winds. There’s going to be things flying all over the place,” he said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

Earlier, a tornado watch went in to effect for nearly 12 million people across central and northern Florida and southeast Georgia until 3 p.m. ET, Wednesday, as conditions continue to deteriorate, with coastal streets and lots flooding in places including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Fort Myers Beach as ocean water pushes ashore, rain pours down and winds whip.

The cities of Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Gainesville in Florida, and Savannah, Georgia are in the watch.

Cedar Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast is experiencing between 8 and 9 feet of storm surge, with waters still rising rapidly even as normal low tide is occurring.

The surge should continue to climb over the next several hours in Florida’s Big Bend region as backside winds push the water level higher and the normal tide also comes in.

Water levels are nearing 6.5 feet above the highest normal tides, eclipsing a record from Hurricane Hermine in 2016 of 5.99 feet. Water levels have been measured in Cedar Key since 1914. 

Tidal gauges are sparse across Florida’s Gulf Coast, but the highest water levels on record are occurring in Tampa Bay, Clearwater and Cedar Key — indicating that record storm surge is happening across the wider region.

Here’s what makes storm surge so dangerous.

Idalia is seen over Florida in this satellite image taken at 7:51am ET on Wednesday.

Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and even higher gusts.

This makes Idalia the strongest storm to make landfall in the Big Bend region in more than 125 years.

Idalia is the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida in the last 12 months, following Hurricane Ian in September 2022 and and Hurricane Nicole in October 2022.

President Joe Biden will address Hurricane Idalia Wednesday afternoon as the Category 3 storm pummels Florida.

Biden, a White House official said, “will deliver remarks on the whole-of-government response and recovery efforts on Maui, Hawaii and the ongoing response from the federal government to Hurricane Idalia.”

Biden and his team have been in close touch with Florida officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, as the storm barrels toward the state, threatening devastating damage.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has pre-positioned resources to respond to the immediate impacts of Idalia. That includes “several Incident Management Assistance teams, Urban Search & Rescue teams, our Disaster Survivor Assistance teams” that “are ready to move to the most impacted areas immediately after the storm passes,” the official said.

FEMA, the official added, “also has warehouses filled with commodities like food, water, blankets, and medical supplies that ready to rapidly move into the impacted area at the state’s request.”

The official noted that the Army Corps of Engineers is pre-positioned for power restoration efforts and the Department of Health and Human Services “assisted with evacuations from hospitals and assisted living centers.” 

Biden speaks at 1:45 p.m. ET in the Roosevelt Room.

There are about 116,000 Florida customers in the dark as Hurricane Idalia churns closer to the state, according to poweroutage.us. 

As of 7:25 a.m. ET, the bulk of the outages are in the Big Bend region of the state. This includes Taylor County, with about 13,000 out; Dixie County, with about 10,000 outages; and Levy County, with about 8,000 outages. 

In Wakulla County, located on the Florida Panhandle, about 10,000 customers are without power — which is about 57% of all customers in the county. 

Rain and wind sweep through the Steinhatchee Marina in Steinhatchee, Florida, on Wednesday morning.

Hurricane Idalia is expected to make landfall very soon northwest of Steinhatchee in Florida’s western Big Bend region, with extreme wind warnings in place for destructive tornado-like winds.

But landfall is by no means the end of the story — as seen in Tampa, with major impacts occurring far from the center of the storm. A major surge is happening now in Tampa Bay; it is expected to crest soon but will only recede slowly as high tide isn’t until this afternoon. 

Significant impacts will also occur far inland after the storm makes landfall, with hurricane warnings extended well into Georgia.

We will see this type of surge, and likely worse, in areas farther up the coast like Crystal River, Cedar Key and Steinhatchee, even as the storm passes and the strong backside winds push water onshore.

Idalia is expected to remain a hurricane through the day as it moves into Georgia and over Savannah later this evening. 

Here are some of the cities that will see impacts:

Steinhatchee

St. Marks/Apalachee Bay

St. Petersburg/Tampa Bay

Savannah, Georgia

Hurricane Idalia has weakened very slightly before landfall and is now a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds and higher gusts.

This is only down 5 mph from the previous update and does not diminish the dangers the storm presents.

Earlier, the storm intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 mph before slightly weakening.

“Radar and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft data indicate that an eyewall replacement cycle has begun,” the National Hurricane Center said. “Idalia’s maximum sustained winds are now estimated near 125 mph (205 km/h) with higher gusts. This change in wind speed does not diminish the threat of catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds.”

An eyewall replacement cycle is a natural cycling process strong hurricanes and typhoons go through where a new eye begins to develop inside the eye of the storm. 

Within the past hour, wind gusts of 55 mph have been recorded in Cedar Key and Apalachee Bay.

A satellite image of Idalia as it heads towards Florida on August 30.

Idalia is a strong Category 3 hurricane as it nears landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Wednesday morning, bringing destructive, life-threatening impacts in and around its center.

And the hurricane will retain strength after landfall as it carves a path inland through the southeastern US.

Idalia will still be a powerful hurricane as it tracks through northern Florida through late Wednesday morning and across southeastern Georgia Wednesday afternoon.

Damaging winds will extend well beyond the hurricane’s center during this time and could cause widespread, long-duration power outages for the region.

Tallahassee, Florida, will endure sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts near 60 mph as the hurricane tracks to the city’s southeast Wednesday morning. Inland areas near the path of Idalia like Valdosta, Georgia, will be slammed by sustained winds of 55 to 75 mph and peak wind gusts up to 110 mph.  

Torrential, flooding rainfall is also possible from Florida’s Big Bend region through parts of Georgia into Wednesday night. Idalia’s worst wind and rain will hold off in the Carolinas until late Wednesday and continue into Thursday.  

“Conditions continue to deteriorate on Treasure Island,” in Pinellas County’s coast, city officials cautioned in a Wednesday morning storm update. 

“There’s another high tide at 11:30 a.m. which has the possibility of creating more surge and flooding,” said the update.

Treasure Island officials said conditions currently include “storm surge, street flooding, tree limbs down scattered, debris [and] power outages.”

Treasure Island is located on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico’s western coast.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Florida residents to heed emergency officials’ warnings to take cover as Hurricane Idalia nears the state’s Gulf Coast.

“This thing’s powerful. If you’re inside, just hunker down until it gets past you. You don’t want to be messing around with these winds. There’s going to be things flying all over the place,” he said at a news conference Wednesday morning.

“We just hope everybody stays safe. Don’t put your life at risk by doing anything dumb at this point,” he added.

DeSantis said that while residents are urged to stay inside and off the streets as Idalia passes over the state, officials will begin search and rescue missions as soon as it’s safe to do so.

When those efforts begin, Florida has the following resources ready to go:

The Coast Guard is also on stand by should they be needed, DeSantis said.

A rare extreme wind warning has been issued for parts of Florida’s Dixie and Taylor counties as Idalia’s eyewall — the ring of most intense winds that surrounds the hurricane’s calm eye — comes ashore. 

The warning is issued when extremely dangerous, life-threatening sustained winds of 115 mph or more can occur.  

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now providing an update on Hurricane Idalia.

The storm has intensified into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane ahead of its expected landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday morning.

As Hurricane Idalia has intensified into a Category 4 hurricane, residents like Cedar Key’s Michael Bobbitt decided to ride out the storm to help those who defied the warnings to evacuate ahead of the storm’s landfall.

“I stayed behind so that I could help some of the older and infirm people that just refused to leave,” Bobbitt told CNN’s Phil Mattingly. “Happy to report I was able to get two of my elderly neighbors to finally leave. They made it out just before, I believe, it’s probably too unsafe to be on the road at all now.”

Bobbitt, a Cedar Key resident who recently lost power due to the storm, noted what he described as an “unprecedented level of surge” since he’s lived in the area.

“We’re only just now starting to feel the really horrific effects. And I think four hours from now, Cedar Key will be unrecognizable,” Bobbit added.

Cedar Key is located in Levy County, Florida. It is about 50 miles southwest of Gainesville and is situated on the Gulf of Mexico coast in the northern part of the state.

It’s near dawn in St. Petersburg, Florida, and heavy rain and flooding from Hurricane Idalia are moving into the Tampa Bay area.

Idalia, a powerful Category 4 storm, is now about 60 miles west of Cedar Key and 90 miles south of Tallahassee as it continues on its path toward Florida’s Big Bend, according to the National Hurricane Center.

But while the storm is forecast to make landfall far north of the Tampa Bay area, coastal regions further south, like St. Petersburg, are still reporting severe storm surge.

Here’s a look at St. Petersburg this morning:

Vehicles sit in a flooded street caused by Hurricane Idalia passing offshore on August 30, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

A vehicle drives through flood waters caused by Hurricane Idalia passing offshore on August 30, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

There are nearly 60,000 customers without power in Florida as Hurricane Idalia intensifies into a Category 4 hurricane, according to poweroutage.com. 

As of 5:45 a.m. ET, the bulk of the outages are in the Big Bend region of the state. This includes Taylor, Dixie and Levy Counties. 

Hurricane Idalia is on track to make landfall as a Category 4 in Florida’s Big Bend Wednesday morning.

A Category 4 landfall in this region would be unprecedented, but not across the entire hurricane-prone state.

If it maintains its intensity, Idalia would become the 13th Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in Florida since 1851. Hurricane Ian was the last. That storm roared ashore in Cayo Costa, Florida, with winds of 150 mph on September 28, 2022.

Only four hurricanes have made landfall in the continental US as Category 5 hurricanes, three of which did so in Florida.

A tornado watch is now in effect for nearly 12 million people across central and northern Florida and southeast Georgia.

Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and Gainesville in Florida, and Savannah, Georgia are included the watch, which runs until at least 3 p.m. ET.

Rain bands from Hurricane Idalia bring the threat of a few tornadoes Wednesday morning into the afternoon. Weak and short-lived tornadoes are often associated with the outer bands of landfalling tropical systems.

Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring significant surge between 4 and 5 feet into Tampa Bay on Wednesday morning — and it has already set a new record for water levels in the Bay.

Water levels are nearing 4 feet (specifically 3.91 feet at 5:30 a.m. ET), and they are still rising, even as the tide should be lowering, thanks to the push of Idalia’s winds into the Bay. 

This eclipses the previous high water mark of 3.79 feet from Tropical Storm Eta in 2020.

Storm surge is also building at other locations around Florida’s Gulf Coast. Clearwater Beach is experiencing storm surge between 5 and 6 feet and also nearing a record water level at that location. Cedar Key is also reporting more than 5 feet of surge and the water level is rising quickly, despite a lowering tide. 

As Hurricane Idalia, now a powerful Category 4 storm, races toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, Madeira Beach’s fire chief warned residents there will come a point where emergency officials can no longer rescue them.

He added that even the department’s high water vehicle, a decommissioned military vehicle, had issues reaching some evacuees this morning as waters rise in the area.

Madeira Beach is in Pinellas County, just west of St. Petersburg in the Tampa Bay area. Belk said the current flooding the area is seeing “isn’t even the worse of it.”

“The worst is supposed to hit us about 10, 11 this morning. And it’s 5:30 a.m. So what we’ve experienced here isn’t even the worst of it,” he said.

He urged residents — especially long-time Florida residents who have seen other hurricanes miss the areas — to take Idalia seriously and allow officials to rescue them while they’re still able to.

“You can replace your house, you can replace your belongings. You have to look out for your safety and your family’s safety,” he said.

Hurricane Idalia has intensified into an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm with powerful winds maximum sustained winds of 130 mph ahead of its expected landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 a.m. ET update.

Idalia is now about 60 miles west of Cedar Key and 90 miles south of Tallahassee as it continues on its path toward Florida’s Big Bend, according to the center.

The storm is also speeding up, now moving at 18 mph.

“Idalia could continue to strengthen before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida in a few hours,” the hurricane center said.

Hurricane Idalia has undergone impressive rapid intensification over the past 24 hours, with top winds increasing 55 mph, from a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds to a Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds in 24 hours.

The hurricane center added that “while Idalia should weaken after landfall, it is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and near the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today.”

Here’s a look at the center’s 5 a.m. ET advisory:

People board up a window in Tampa, Florida, on August 29.

Tropical storm-force wind gusts are impacting Florida’s west coast as Hurricane Idalia approaches landfall, according to wind reports from the National Weather Service in Tampa. Gust strength is expected to increase as the storm grows closer.

Here are the strongest recorded gusts so far:

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport: 67 mph

Tampa Bay’s Egmont Channel: 60 mph

Skyway Fishing Pier: 57 mph

Punta Gorda: 53 mph

A gust of 82 mph was also reported by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buoy west of Tampa.

Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 160 miles outward from a storm’s center. In comparison, hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles.

Collier County Public Schools in southern Florida, which serves Naples, Florida, will be closed Wednesday due to the “uncertainty of potential weather” that may impact transportation, the district said.

The district announced its decision Tuesday afternoon after multiple tornado warnings throughout the school day left children hunkering down in classrooms and caused dismissal delays, the Naples Daily News reported.

 “As tornado warnings were issued, students and staff remained safe inside the schools, which are built to be used as shelters, and we resumed our typical inclement weather dismissal procedures when the weather warnings were lifted,” the district said in another Facebook post.

The district had initially told parents on Monday that it intended to keep schools open on Tuesday and Wednesday because it did not expect “flooding rain or sustained winds… that would impede normal operations.”

Hundreds of parents flooded the district’s Facebook page with comments criticizing the decision.

Frustrated elementary school parent Shelby Leigh told the Naples Daily News that the district should have closed earlier Tuesday. 

“I don’t think they’re being very smart. I don’t think they’re taking the kids into consideration, or the teachers into consideration, or the parents,” said Leigh.

Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli told the newspaper that she understands parents’ frustrations. She said she only began receiving complaints from parents in the final hour of the school day Tuesday when the weather became more severe.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a prominent Tampa Bay area connector, has been shut down due to high winds, as Hurricane Idalia approaches the coast, Pinellas County emergency officials said early Wednesday.

The sprawling bridge connects St. Petersburg to the Sarasota area.

Gusts of up to 59 miles per hour were reported at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, Pinellas County’s Department of Emergency Management said.

Port Canaveral – one of the world’s busiest cruise ports – has closed to all vessel traffic and suspended its ship-to-shore cargo operations due to forecast gale-force winds in the area, the port said Tuesday night.

Though the port is located on Florida’s central east coast and is not in Hurricane Idalia’s expected path, the US Coast Guard Captain of the Port warned the area may see strong winds by Wednesday morning.

Gale force winds are those that exceed 39 mph, the Coast Guard Sector in Jacksonville said.

The port said facilities on land have been allowed to remain open, and there were no plans to evacuate the marina Tuesday night.

The storm surge is flooding streets in Pinellas County, Florida.

Water is rushing onshore in the coastal Florida resort cities of Madeira Beach and St. Pete Beach as Hurricane Idalia approaches, officials said early Wednesday.

The storm surge blanketed swaths of the cities’ streets with quickly moving water overnight Wednesday, according to videos posted online by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

“Significant flooding is occurring in St. Pete Beach. There is 3-4 feet of water on Sunset Way,” the sheriff’s office said in a tweet.

The hazardous conditions prompted road closures along Madeira Beach’s main artery, Gulf Boulevard, which is just steps from the beach, the sheriff’s office said.

The hotel-lined cities are located on a barrier island between Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Though the storm is forecast to make landfall far north of the area, Pinellas County officials have warned residents not to underestimate the dangers Idalia may bring, including storm surge and powerful winds.

Low-lying and coastal county areas could see 4-7 feet of storm surge, county emergency management director Cathie Perkins said Tuesday.

Palm trees blow in the wind ahead of Hurricane Idalia in Cedar Key, Florida, on August 29.

Idalia intensified into a powerful Category 4 hurricane early Wednesday and is expected to keep strengthening before touching down in Florida’s Big Bend region later this morning, inflicting severe and life-threatening damage in its wake.  

The storm’s impending arrival has triggered evacuation orders across the state’s central Gulf Coast as Idalia threatens to bring perilous flooding, hurricane-force winds and historic storm surge. 

“That is storm surge that – if you’re there while that hits – it’s going to be very difficult to survive,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday evening. 

After tearing inland through Florida, the storm is on track to march across Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina before crossing into the Atlantic. 

Here’s what you need to know:

Extraordinary storm surge already beginning: Much of the Big Bend area could see a storm surge of between 12 to 16 feet above ground level – high enough to reach the middle of an average building’s second floor. Some areas, including coastal cities near Tampa, are already seeing several feet of water fill the streets, prompting major roadway closures.

Dozens of counties evacuated: Residents of more than 30 counties were ordered to evacuate as the storm approached, the governor’s office said. This included mandatory evacuation orders for almost all of the counties in the state’s Big Bend region, which lies squarely in Idalia’s projected path. A majority of those in the storm’s direct path have heeded the orders, Desantis said.

Some residents have chosen to stay: Despite officials’ urgings that residents evacuate as soon as possible, a handful of people are hunkering down in their homes as the storm approaches. Some told CNN they are worried to leave behind their family business or abandon un-evacuated loved ones, while others said they simply believe they can weather the storm. Gov. Desantis has warned that first responders will not be able to reach those who stayed in evacuation zones until after the storm has passed.  

Schools and universities close: More than 40 County School Districts have announced closures, joined by several colleges and universities, including Florida A&M University, the University of Florida and Florida State University.

Travel halted or disrupted: Hundreds of flights have been canceled as Tampa International Airport suspended commercial operations and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Terminal building closed Tuesday. State officials are also prepared to shut down bridges if wind speeds become dangerous to drivers, the governor said.

National Guard is deployed: Around 5,500 National Guard troops have been activated to aid after Idalia’s landfall, including assisting search and rescue efforts.

“Unprecedented” storm for some Floridians: A storm of this magnitude hasn’t been seen in Florida’s northern Gulf Coast area since the 1800s, according to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. “This has the makings of an unprecedented event for this part of the state,” the agency said.

Idalia could arrive in Georgia as a hurricane: Though the storm is expected to weaken after making landfall in Florida, it is likely to still be a hurricane as rips across southern Georgia and advances toward South Carolina later Wednesday, forecasters said.

Follow Idalia’s path with CNN’s storm tracker. 

A deserted beach ahead of Hurricane Idalia in Cedar Key, Florida, on August 29.

Hurricane Idalia has reached Category 3 strength with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph ahead of its landfall on Florida’s west coast Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

That means Idalia will likely have winds of 130 mph or higher when it makes landfall. Category 4-strength winds are capable of catastrophic damage – destroying homes, causing prolonged utility outages and potentially rendering some areas uninhabitable for weeks.

The storm’s center is about 100 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, as Idalia moves at around 15 mph early Wednesday, the agency said.

After barreling into Florida, Idalia is on track to pass into Georgia and then into South Carolina and North Carolina.

“Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today,” the agency warned. 

Florida’s small or isolated coastal communities will likely be difficult for emergency crews to reach after Hurricane Idalia barrels through the central Gulf Coast, former FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate told CNN.

Search and rescue will be officials’ No. 1 priority after the storm subsides, Fugate told CNN’s Laura Coates Wednesday night.

But roadways to these spread-out and sparsely populated areas will likely be blocked by flooding, downed trees and heavy debris, which will make reaching survivors who chose not to heed evacuation orders very challenging, he said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has pre-positioned personnel, equipment and other resources in areas expected to be impacted by the storm, the agency’s current administrator, Deanne Criswell, said Tuesday.

Storm clouds are seen building in the distance over a canal in Port Richey, Florida, on August 29.

Hurricane Idalia is now expected to slam into Florida as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm when it makes landfall early Wednesday, according to an 11 p.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

At the time of the advisory, Idalia was churning with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph — just shy of becoming a Category 3.

Idalia is expected to inundate parts of Florida’s Big Bend region with a “catastrophic” storm surge between 12 to 16 feet — higher than an average city bus, the agency said.

“There is the potential for destructive, life-threatening winds where the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Big Bend region,” the hurricane center said.

Sandbags in front of a house ahead of Hurricane Idalia in St. Petersburg, Florida, on August 29.

A tornado watch is now in effect for more than 7 million people across central and western Florida, including Tampa, until 6:00 a.m. ET Wednesday.

Rain bands from Hurricane Idalia bring the threat for wind gusts of up to 75 mph, marble-sized hail and a few tornadoes overnight as well as into the early morning hours.

Weak and short-lived tornadoes are often associated with the outer bands of landfalling tropical systems.

Roughly, 4,000 people incarcerated in Florida were evacuated or relocated to facilities better equipped to handle the storm, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Corrections. 

 The following facilities have been evacuated:

Workers set up a fence to prevent flooding at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, on August 29, as the city prepares for Hurricane Idalia.

Major hospitals in the Tampa and St. Petersburg area are preparing for a significant storm surge from Hurricane Idalia.

Tampa General Hospital – located in the Davis Islands neighborhood in a surge-prone area of the city — has gone as far as to construct a water-impermeable barrier around parts of its campus.

The more than 1,000-bed hospital is expected to be finished assembling the AquaFence barrier — which can withstand up to a 15-foot storm surge — around its vulnerable areas by the end of the day Tuesday, hospital spokesperson Karen Barrera told CNN in an email.

Tampa General will remain open for emergency care and is equipped with a central energy plant that is located 33 feet above sea level and can withstand the impact and flooding of a Category 5 hurricane, housing both electricity generators and boilers for hot water, Barrera said.

Barrera added the hospital has activated its incident command center to keep operating, and as a Level 1 trauma center, Tampa General “stands ready to meet the needs to patients throughout the state who require care after the storm has passed.”

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, a pediatric hospital in St. Petersburg, said it isn’t currently moving any patients, having built a new building in 2010 to withstand hurricane-force winds. 

Most of the hospital’s mechanical areas are on its fourth floor to protect from flooding, and the hospital is capable of having its own potable water and can power itself without being connected to the power grid, if needed, spokesperson Danielle Caci said in an email.

“We are a 259-bed hospital and the largest freestanding pediatric hospital in the area so (we) are prepared to take in patients in need of medical care,” Caci said. 

BayCare, a hospital system that owns 16 acute-care hospitals in the Tampa Bay area, also said it didn’t anticipate any “operational changes” other than closing some ambulatory services.

“We have ‘hardened’ our facilities to be as prepared as possible for hurricane season,” said BayCare spokesperson Lisa Razler in an email to CNN, adding the hospitals aren’t moving patients at this time “and we don’t expect that to change.”

Hurricane Idalia has rapidly intensified over the exceptionally warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico with current maximum winds of 105 mph, according to the 8 p.m. ET update from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is still a Category 2 hurricane but nearing the Category 3 threshold for wind speeds, which is 111 mph.

Idalia is expected to strengthen more ahead of its landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Wednesday morning.

The National Hurricane Center had warned that rapid intensification was likely in this storm — a phenomenon that is becoming more common as ocean temperatures warm. In order to meet the definition, a storm’s sustained wind speeds must increase by at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less.

The hurricane’s rapid intensification was aided by the Gulf of Mexico’s extremely warm waters. It’s just one of the ways experts say is making hurricanes more dangerous, as warmer waters allow for storms to strengthen quicker.

This is Idalia’s forecasted path as of 8 p.m. ET.

Storm tracker: See Idalia’s path

For people living in Florida’s Big Bend region, now is the time to evacuate, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday evening. Hurricane Idalia is expected to hit the area as early as Wednesday morning, the latest forecasts show.

There will be a “significant, significant impact” on the Big Bend region, especially in low-lying and coastal areas.

“So you really got to go now,” DeSantis said, reiterating that “now’s the time.”

He warned that first responders will not be able to reach people who stay in evacuation zones until after the storm.

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw warned residents Tuesday that storm surge and standing water continue to be a threat to the city, as the effects of Hurricane Idalia are already being felt up and down the Florida Gulf Coast.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who also spoke at the briefing, warned residents that although the storm will be pushed out by morning, they should be prepared for the surge that will come in the afternoon. 

Castor said the King Tide will create a tidal surge that will move in around noon, and that it could continue until as late as 5 p.m. ET. King Tide is a term used to describe exceptionally higher than normal tidal cycles that typically occur during a new moon or a full moon when the moon makes its closest pass to the Earth, according to CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.

Castor told residents not to return to their homes until they know what areas have been flooded.

A manager of a bed and breakfast business in Cedar Key, Florida, said she is staying in town despite evacuation warnings.

Heather Greenwood, the manager of Cedar Key Bed & Breakfast, told CNN that while she’s concerned about the storm, she’s not going anywhere. Greenwood said she not only wanted to provide a place for news crews to stay but wanted to help others she knows are staying in town.

Greenwood said the house is at the highest point on the island and has been secured. “Being vigilant at this point is the main part,” Greenwood said.

She said she filled all of the bathtubs with water in preparation and stocked up on drinking water and food.

Power and water are being shut off for the area at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday as a precaution, according to Greenwood.

The Mayor of Cedar Keys Heath Davis earlier on Tuesday implored residents to leave ahead of Idalia.

This week’s supermoon is making matters worse for Florida’s Gulf Coast by enhancing tides, which is expected to worsen Idalia’s storm surge.

A supermoon is a full moon that is closer to Earth than normal, which makes it appear larger and brighter in the night sky. This week’s supermoon will be nearly 18,000 miles closer to Earth than its normal distance. This is why supermoons enhance ocean tides — the moon’s gravity has a stronger effect on the oceans.

Up to 15 feet of surge is forecast in Florida’s Big Bend, a figure Rhome said takes into account the full moon’s influence on tides. Rhome said the supermoon would increase high tide by around a foot.

The high tide in Cedar Key, Florida — near where Idalia is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning — was already projected to hit its highest levels of the year, even before Idalia’s storm surge. Tuesday’s high tide there is the second-highest of the year, behind only Thursday’s.

The supermoon will peak at 9:36 p.m. ET on Wednesday but will appear full through Friday morning, according to NASA.

Idalia could have a historic impact on the Florida Gulf Coast area the storm is expected to hit as early as today, said Gov. Ron DeSantis.

With powerful winds and life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane is due to hit at Category 3 strength. It is forecasted to track into Apalachee Bay in the sparsely populated Big Bend region, according to the National Hurricane Center and its Tallahassee office.

“We don’t really have a historical analog in anybody’s memory so it’s likely to cause a lot of damage,” DeSantis said.

He told residents to be prepared to lose power and evacuate if they are in evacuation zones. The governor also said resources are in place to help the areas hit after the storm.

As Hurricane Idalia makes way to the Florida coast, some residents have evacuated their towns while others have not.

Janalea England lives in Steinhatchee and has been through many hurricanes as she’s lived on the coast most of her life. This time she says she isn’t evacuating.

Worries of not being able to get back into the town and wanting to stay with family members who are also not evacuating is what’s keeping England to stay put.

Krystal Boyle lives in Rosewood, which is seven miles inland from Cedar Key Bridge and within a county that’s issued a mandatory evacuation order to residents and visitors in coastal areas.

She said she’s not leaving – because she is not on the island and feels like she should be fine.

On the other hand, Lori Leigh Batts-Bennett has already evacuated the area of Steinhatchee and is staying in Jacksonville.

Batts-Bennett told CNN she spends almost every weekend in Steinhatchee and has been visiting the area since she was a child. She said she’s worried about the residents who have so far refused to evacuate.

At a news conference Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to heed evacuation warnings. “You really got to go now,” he said.