Hurricane Idalia was expected to impact Savannah, GA, starting around mid-day Wednesday, August 30, 2023. The city declared a state of local emergency effective 6 a.m. on that day in preparation for the storm. While the storm's arrival to Savannah was forecasted for Wednesday mid-day, high wind gusts and heavy rain began arriving earlier on the day. The storm passed near or west of Savannah as it moved through Georgia with tropical-storm-force winds on August 30–31, 2023. Key timing and impact details:
- Savannah began preparations and emergency declarations effective early morning August 30.
- High winds (gusts up to 60 mph) and heavy rains expected by mid-day August 30.
- Idalia was downgraded to a tropical storm near Savannah during the day on August 30, with winds around 70 mph.
- The storm produced widespread rains and tropical storm-force winds across southeastern Georgia on August 30–31.
Thus, the primary impact of Hurricane Idalia on Savannah, GA, occurred on August 30, 2023.
