Editor’s Note: This will be the last post on this blog. Coverage of Hurricane Idalia will continue on 352today.com
UPDATE, 3:53 p.m. – Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered an update on the impact of Hurricane Idalia from Perry in the Big Bend area of Florida.
The governor says they’re receiving reports of looting in Steinhatchee. He says he’s instructed state personnel to protect people’s property. We’re not going to tolerate looting.
UPDATE, 2:20 p.m. – Marion County public schools will reopen for normal operations on Thursday, August 31. Students will not have to make-up for lost class time.
Marion County also says all emergency shelters are now closed and they are working to return a just a few residents to their homes.
UPDATE, 1:25 p.m. – Crystal River’s downtown business district is under water. High water even covers U.S. Hwy 19.
Here’s a before and after look at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 19 and Citrus Ave. The ‘before’ photo was taken on Monday, Aug. 28, by 352today News Editor Denise Vickers. The ‘after’ photo was taken today, Aug. 30, and posted by Citrus County Sheriff’s Office on their Facebook page.
UPDATE, 12:27 p.m. – University of Florida announces classes will resume tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 31.
The administration has asked faculty to be flexible with students who may have been affected by Hurricane Idalia. Students who need to help family in hard-hit areas are encouraged to contact their instructors immediately.
UPDATE, 12:20 p.m. – While the worst is over for north-central Florida there are still many communities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
UPDATE, 11:55 a.m. – There are thousands of power outages across north-central Florida. To report and outage and find out the status of restoration efforts by your utility provider, check this out.
UPDATE, 11:25 a.m. – A post from Ocala Electric Utility shows how the impact of a hurricane can’t be underestimated.
UPDATE, 11:15 a.m. – The Newberry city officials say “Our crews are staged to begin the damage assessment after the storm has passed. We currently expect conditions to be safe around noon.”
They urge Newberry residents to report any damage, downed trees, sinkholes, etc., on the Newberry FL Connect App or by calling 352-472-2161. You can also report damage online here.
UPDATE, 11:00 a.m. – A tide gauge at Cedar Key measured the storm surge at 6.8 feet submerging most of the downtown. The hurricane’s impact is still unfolding there. In a Facebook post, Cedar Key Fire Rescue asks people to not come to the island. It appears propane tanks are causing new problems for the crews.
UPDATE, 10:51 a.m. – Sumter County says effective at 11 a.m., the shelters located at the Sumter Fairgrounds in Webster, and the Special Needs Shelter at the Wildwood Community Center in Wildwood will be closed and no longer accepting residents.
UPDATE, 9:50 a.m. – Alachua County is no longer in the storm’s direct path but remains under a Hurricane Warning and Flood Watch. Gainesville city officials say you should remain indoors as Idalia is now expected to be a wind event. A release from the city says, “We may experience periods of extreme wind from the storm’s outer bands over the next several hours. Falling trees and downed power lines are still a concern, as is the possibility of tornadoes.”
UPDATE, 9:30 a.m. – Cedar Key Fire Rescue crews have been assessing damage so far around the island. Posts on their Facebook page show significant flooding from storm surge and downed trees.
UPDATE, 9:05 a.m. – We’re curating damage reports from around the 352. The City of Crystal River has flooding around Pete’s Pier Marina. They shared this image on their Facebook page.
UPDATE, 8:11 a.m. – Deputies with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and Citrus County Fire Rescue (CCFR) are currently responding to a Beverly Hills electrical fire. It’s located on West Lemon Street. Deputies are asking citizens to avoid the area.
UPDATE, 7:41 a.m. – Weather Channel meteorologist is on Cedar Key and posted dramatic video of an estimated 6′ storm surge on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
UPDATE, 7:38 a.m. – The City of Newberry has posted on its Facebook page, “We are aware of several outages throughout the community. However, wind speeds have increased to the point where it is no longer safe for us to dispatch our crews. Once the storm has passed and it becomes safe to do so, we will begin damage assessment and outage restoration. Stay safe.”
UPDATE, 7:30 a.m. – The National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicates Idalia’s winds have weakened to Category 3 status. The NHC says radar and Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft data indicates Idalia’s maximum sustained winds are now estimated near 125 mph.
UPDATE, 7:15 a.m. – Current weather conditions outside the 352today/K-Country/Wind-FM studios on East Fort King Street in Ocala.
UPDATE, 6:56 a.m. – The National Weather Service (NWS) in Jacksonville has issued a tornado warning for south-central Marion County until 7:30 a.m. At 6:54 a.m., the NWS said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located 8 miles southwest of Santos, or 10 miles south of Ocala, moving northeast at 25 mph.
UPDATE, 6:55 a.m. – A reporter asked whether the governor is concerned about people who decided not to evacuate Cedar Key and the governor acknowledged he was concerned due to the anticipated level of storm surge for the coastal community.
UPDATE, 6:40 a.m. – Ironically, the EOC briefly lost power during the governor’s briefing. He referenced it. Generators kicked in and the power loss never disrupted the live briefing.
State Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie took the podium. He said Idalia is expected to make landfall at Keaton Beach with 130 mph sustained winds.
In reference to the power outages, Guthrie applauded the power restoration efforts to 100,000 customers, stating it was accomplished in less than eight hours.
UPDATE, 6:30 a.m. – Gov. Ron DeSantis proving an update right now from the state EOC in Tallahassee. He says the Category 4 Hurricane Idalia is expected to make landfall in the next few hours in Taylor County in the Big Bend area. The expected storm surge is 16′ and considered life-threatening. The governor urges you to not go outside in midst of this storm. He says if it’s calm you may be in the eye of the storm and things can change quickly. There will be impacts far beyond the eye wall.
He says the state has already had 11 tornado warnings and more are possible.
When storm passes, the governor says do not drive on flooded streets. He added you should assume downed power lines are hot. He said currently there are 54,000 without power. But that power has been restored through hard work overnight from crews that were staged in advance of the storm.
UPDATE, 6:25 a.m. – Gov. Ron DeSantis expected to give a live update from the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on Hurricane Idalia at 6:30 a.m. You can watch live here.
UPDATE, 5:50 a.m. – The office of Gov. Ron DeSantis says Uber is offering free round-trip transportation to shelters in counties in the path of Hurricane Idalia. That includes the following counties in the 352: Alachua, Citrus, Dixie, Hernando Lake, Marion, Sumter. To receive a free ride to a shelter use code IDALIARELIEF in the Uber App. The maximum discount of up to $35 per ride. Offer valid for up to two trips per rider.
UPDATE, 5:26 a.m. – Cedar Key Fire Rescue is posting updates to the department’s Facebook page including video saying “things are going downhill fast.” As of around 5 a.m., they stated “the tide is starting to come in pretty strong. D Street is beginning to go underwater at the market and 3rd Street. G Street is also covered now.” A photo of flooding accompanied the post.
Flooding in Cedar Key posted to the Cedar Key Fire Rescue (CKFR) Facebook page around 5 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 30. Courtesy: CKFR
UPDATE, 5:19 a.m. – This is the peak storm surge forecast for Hurricane Idalia from the National Hurricane Center as of 5 a.m., Wednesday, Aug. 30.
UPDATE, 5:00 a.m. – The National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Idalia has rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane. As of 5 a.m., the NHC says Idalia is about 60 miles west of Cedar Key with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.
UPDATE, 4:45 a.m. – The National Weather Service (NWS) says the storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. Therefore, the warning has been canceled for southeastern Citrus County, west-central Sumter County and central Hernando County.
UPDATE, 4:35 a.m. – The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a tornado warning in southeastern Citrus County, west-central Sumter County and central Hernando County until 5 a.m.
The NWS says a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Hernando County Airport, or near Brooksville, moving northeast at 35 mph. The NWS says this dangerous storm will be near Brooksville, South Brooksville, North Brooksville, and Hill n Dale around 4:30 a.m. Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include Spring Lake, Garden Grove, Nobleton, Lake Lindsey, Suburban Acres, Inverness Highlands, Floral City, Istachatta, Wahoo, and Croom.
ORIGINAL:
OCALA, FL (352today.com) – As of 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) says Hurricane Idalia is a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph with higher gusts.
The NHC says the storm is located about 90 miles west-southwest of Cedar Key.
Catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds expected in the Big Bend region Wednesday morning when Idalia makes landfall.
Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that Idalia continues to rapidly intensify.
The 352today team is aggressively pursuing new information about the impact of Hurricane Idalia and updating this post. Check back frequently for updates.