Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall with mighty winds and relentless rain on Florida's Gulf Coast, has now turned its fury towards southeastern Georgia.
The hurricane's forceful Category 3 impact in Keaton Beach, Florida, brought winds reaching 125 mph (201 kph) and unleashed widespread flooding, leaving residents grappling with the aftermath.
Visuals from Idalia's arrival depicted highways submerged under ocean waters and neighbourhoods overwhelmed by extensive flooding. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, addressing the situation, reported that evacuation orders had been mostly heeded in vulnerable areas, potentially minimising casualties. Yet, the hardest-hit zones are still being evaluated for the extent of the damage.
Perry, a town north of Idalia's Florida landfall, bore severe damage, with power outages, closed businesses, and evacuated homes. The storm left a trail of destruction, toppling trees, ripping off roofs, and ravaging buildings. The Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church suffered substantial damage, showcasing the unprecedented severity of the storm.
St. Petersburg reported rescuing around 75 individuals from floodwaters, while Valdosta, Georgia, experienced emergency boat rescues as well. Idalia's strength, nurtured by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, was further fueled by the storm's transformation into a Category 4 hurricane, leaving Florida's Gulf Coast, before gradually losing intensity.
Georgia authorities monitored the hurricane's entry into the state, with plans to assess the impact once the storm subsided. Coastal communities took heed, as residents fled to safer locations to escape the threat of the powerful storm surge and flooding.
The National Hurricane Center's warning of significant rainfall, ranging from 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm), with localised areas possibly reaching a foot, raised concerns.
As Idalia reached southeastern Georgia, it weakened to a Category 1 storm and eventually further downgraded to a tropical storm.
Florida recorded two storm-related deaths, and widespread power outages plagued both Florida and Georgia. With recovery efforts underway, it's a race against time to assess the damage and restore normalcy to the affected regions.
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