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- Large hail, tornado threat possible Thursday evening
Idalia downgraded to a tropical storm as it tracks northeast
Idalia made landfall at 7:45 am on Wednesday in the Big Bend of Florida. Dangerous impacts continue Wednesday and Thursday.
Kaitlyn McGrath, Miri Marshall, Makayla Lucero
7:42 AM EDT August 25, 2023
6:16 AM EDT August 29, 2023
WASHINGTON —
Tropical Storm Idalia
Idalia made landfall as a major category 3 hurricane at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesday in the Big Bend of Florida with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. The storm has brought on dangerous storm surge and damaging winds. The storm has already sparked tornado warnings and numerous flash flood warnings across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center downgraded Idalia to a tropical storm this afternoon and it will continue to weaken as it moves up the east coast into South Carolina later tonight.
Throughout Thursday morning, Idalia will continue to bring a significant storm surge, flooding and wind threat to the Carolina’s.
While landfall happened along the Big Bend of Florida, impacts will be very far reaching as storm surge occurred along the Florida Gulf coast in addition to parts of northeast Florida into the Carolinas.
Timeline of Idalia impacts:
Thursday 4:00 AM
Idalia remains a tropical storm skirting up to the coast of South Carolina bringing heavy rain and tropical storm force winds in addition to significant storm surge threats.
Thursday 3:00 PM
Idalia will move offshore as a tropical storm and continue to kick up rough surf along the east coast.
Hurricane Franklin
Franklin became a category 4 hurricane on Monday and that made it the first major hurricane of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season. It has since weakened to Category 2 strength. Hurricane Franklin passed to the west of Bermuda on Wednesday morning. However, the threat for large waves and rip current to both the island and much of the east coast will continue through the end of the week. Once it passes Bermuda, it will continue to weaken over the cooler waters of the north Atlantic Ocean.
We typically see the most tropical activity from mid-August through mid-October with the official peak of the Atlantic hurricane season marked on September 10th.