Idalia has turned post-tropical as it moves offshore of the Carolinas. Conditions will gradually improve through this afternoon and evening as it moves away from land.
Over 100,000 customers across the Southeast are still without power, according to PowerOutage.us. The Associated Press reports one death in Georgia from a falling tree.
Although Idalia has turned post-tropical, it’s expected to regain tropical characteristics again by the weekend. The storm has turned toward east and is heading out to sea.
It’ll head toward Bermuda, bringing tropical storm conditions to the island on Saturday. Heavy rainfall and flooding are likely.
Tropical Storm Watches are in effect for Bermuda.
Idalia’s history
Idalia first formed in the Caribbean Sea on Aug. 27 and stalled near the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula. It then moved north into the Gulf of Mexico, where it rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane.
Idalia weakened slightly just before landfall, but made struck as a major Category 3 hurricane near Keaton Beach, Fla. around 7:45 a.m. on Aug. 30, with top estimated wind speeds of 125 mph.
According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, no major hurricanes since records began in 1851 had tracked into Apalachee Bay. A landfall there is unprecedented in modern times.
Idalia brought destructive storm surge and winds to parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast, especially in the Big Bend region and northern reaches of the Nature Coast. Perry, Fla. reported an 85 mph wind gust, and Horseshoe Beach hit 81 mph.
The worst storm surge issues were on Florida’s Gulf Coast, especially in the Big Bend region. Here is a time lapse from Steinhatchee, Fla. as Idalia made landfall on the morning of Aug. 30, 2023.
The water level at Cedar Key, about 50 miles from the landfall point, had a storm surge of nearly 7 feet, according to the Associated Press.
Storm surge inundated parts of the Tampa Bay area. Water was at least a few feet deep in surge-prone parts of Pinellas County Tuesday, closing numerous roadways. You can see a gallery of damage photos from the Tampa region.
On the Atlantic coast, the Associated Press reports that the high tide Wednesday evening in Charleston, S.C. surpassed 9.2 feet, its fifth-highest reading since records began there in 1899.
Idalia also dropped heavy rain that caused inland flooding. Some locations in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas got more than 9 inches of rainfall. Mullins, N.C. reported nearly a foot of rain Thursday morning.
Check here for a look at the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season so far.
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