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Satellite video recorded on Aug. 29 showed Hurricane Idalia approach Florida's west coast. (Video: CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

Live updates Idalia intensifies to Category 4 hurricane, set to make landfall

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Idalia rapidly intensified to a Category 4 hurricane overnight as forecasters warned that a “catastrophic” storm surge and “destructive” winds were nearing Florida’s northern Gulf Coast. Idalia is set to make landfall Wednesday morning, the National Hurricane Center said. The agency warned Florida residents to prepare for long power outages and said some locations may be uninhabitable for several weeks or months. Parts of eastern Georgia and southeastern South Carolina also could experience damaging winds.

Key updates
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The National Hurricane Center said the eye of Hurricane Idalia was located by Tallahassee around 5 a.m. Eastern time and was “moving toward the north-northeast” parts of Florida.
It is “time to shelter in place,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said Tuesday night after warnings by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and others that time for evacuations was running out.
Idalia is predicted to be the most intense storm on record to strike the Big Bend area of Florida, which is particularly vulnerable to storm surge because of the adjacent gently sloping seafloor, which makes it easy for water to pile up along the coast and penetrate miles inland.
Tampa could see record-breaking storm surge if the current forecast of 4 to 6 feet coincides with high tide.
After coming ashore, Idalia will bolt northeastward and bring a dangerous combination of strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding to northeast Florida, southeast Georgia and the eastern Carolinas through Thursday.
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The National Hurricane Center said the eye of Hurricane Idalia was located by Tallahassee around 5 a.m. Eastern time and was “moving toward the north-northeast” parts of Florida.
It is “time to shelter in place,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said Tuesday night after warnings by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and others that time for evacuations was running out.
Idalia is predicted to be the most intense storm on record to strike the Big Bend area of Florida, which is particularly vulnerable to storm surge because of the adjacent gently sloping seafloor, which makes it easy for water to pile up along the coast and penetrate miles inland.
Tampa could see record-breaking storm surge if the current forecast of 4 to 6 feet coincides with high tide.
After coming ashore, Idalia will bolt northeastward and bring a dangerous combination of strong winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding to northeast Florida, southeast Georgia and the eastern Carolinas through Thursday.
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More on Hurricane Idalia

The latest: Idalia strengthened into a hurricane and is forecast to intensify even more before slamming Florida’s northern Gulf Coast and Big Bend area as a Category 3 storm. Follow our live updates.

Where will Idalia hit? Here’s a look at the current forecast for six cities.

Path tracker: We’re tracking Idalia, which is expected to hit Florida on Wednesday morning.

Storm surge: Waters are predicted to swell up to 15 feet in some spots, potentially causing flooding that will be anywhere from “devastating to catastrophic,” the National Weather Service warns. Here’s an explanation of what storm surge is.

How to prepare: Our guide will show you how to keep your family and home safe before a hurricane hits, what to do if you’re caught in the middle, and how to pick up when you return.

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