MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) — Friday, August 30, 2024 marks one year since Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm in the Big Bend of Florida. See video of the moment Idalia made landfall at 7:45 a.m. on August 30, 2023 in the player above.
According to the National Weather Service, "Idalia's primary impact was devastating storm surge across the coastal Big Bend in Levy, Dixie, and Taylor counties. Storm surge inundations of 7 to 12 feet along the coast were some of the highest values recorded since the 1993 Storm of the Century."
SEE VIDEO OF STORM SURGE FLOODING STEINHATCHEE IN THE PLAYER BELOW:
In their updated report, the National Weather Service said Idalia made landfall with winds of 115 mph. View the final report here. The NWS added, "Idalia's relatively fast forward motion also allowed little time for the winds to reduce which allowed widespread 60 to 70 mph wind gusts to spread into southern Georgia from Valdosta to Waycross."
In the final NWS report, it shows that Idalia was responsible for 12 fatalities, all of which occurred in the United States. The estimated damage from Idalia is $3.6 billion, according to NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
Many lessons were learned from Idalia. Area leaders talked with ABC 27 about preparing for hurricane season in May of 2024. Watch our entire 2024 Prepare Now Hurricane Special in the video player below.
ABC 27 has team coverage of the recovery neighborhoods have made over the last year. Join us live at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. on Friday, August 30 for team coverage.
