Hurricane Idalia was downgraded to a Category 3 as it made landfall in the Florida Big Bend with sustained winds estimated at 125 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) update at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday. Catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds are ongoing, with reports of severe flooding. NHC said, “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.” Already the destructive winds have led to 70,000 utility customers without power in Florida. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called the storm “an unprecedented event.”
