Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida Big Bend with warnings of ‘catastrophic damage’

Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning in the Florida Big Bend as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph sustained winds, the National Hurricane Center said while warning of the possibility of “catastrophic damage.”

“Extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane #Idalia makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 125 mph. Catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds ongoing,” the center wrote in an update at 7:45 a.m. ET.

The storm briefly became a Category 4 storm early Wednesday morning, reaching maximum sustained winds of 130 mph by 5 a.m. ET. The hurricane center’s 7 a.m. update, however, showed a slight dip to 125 mph sustained winds, bringing Idalia down to a Category 3 storm. A subsequent 8 a.m. ET update brought the maximum sustained winds down slightly to 120 mph, still a Category 3 storm.

The National Hurricane Center, however, stressed that the storm’s downgrade did not change the “catastrophic” threat posed by Idalia.

“This change in wind speed does not diminish the threat of catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds,” its 7 a.m. update read, with forecasters warning of a “catastrophic storm surge” and “destructive winds occurring in the Florida Big Bend region.”

The 8 a.m. ET update showed Idalia about 10 miles south-southeast of Perry, Florida.

Storm surges remained a serious threat as the high tide threatened to inundate coastal areas. Many residents on the coast of Florida had been ordered or advised to evacuate ahead of the storm.

“Water levels along the coast of the Florida Big Bend continue to rise rapidly,” the hurricane center warned.

“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” it added, saying water levels reaching 16 feet above ground were possible from the Wakulla/Jefferson County line to Yankeetown.

The center said the storm is expected to weaken now that it’s made landfall, but it still is likely to be a hurricane as it heads across Florida and southern Georgia later Wednesday.

Idalia is forecast to be a tropical storm when it nears the coasts of northeastern South Carolina and North Carolina on Wednesday night and Thursday, the latest update read.

Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have all issued states of emergency, allowing officials to provide aid more effectively without going through bureaucratic processes.

Updated at 9:03 a.m. ET

Read more from The Hill:

• Hurricane Idalia crashes into Florida as major storm: live updates
• Hurricane Idalia expected to bring ‘catastrophic’ storm surge to Florida