Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend region of Florida, around 7:45 AM EDT (11:45 UTC) as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds around 115-125 mph
. This area is where the Florida peninsula meets the panhandle. The storm brought devastating storm surge along the coast, with water levels rising 8 to 16 feet in some places, including Levy, Dixie, and Taylor counties, and particularly severe flooding near Cedar Key and the Tampa Bay area
. After hitting Florida, Idalia moved northeast across northern Florida, southern Georgia (passing near Savannah), and into the Carolinas, continuing to bring damaging winds, heavy rain, and flooding risks along this path through Thursday
. The storm was expected to weaken as it moved inland but still posed significant threats from wind, storm surge, and tornadoes in affected areas
