WASHINGTON
Hurricane Idalia made landfall along Florida's western coast early Wednesday as a daunting Category 3 storm, bringing "catastrophic storm surge" and powerful winds.
Flooding along the state’s Big Bend region is expected to continue to worsen until the afternoon as Idalia produced maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour (177 kilometers per hour) at landfall before weakening to a Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned residents to remain prepared for the worst as Idalia makes its way across Florida with high tide expected to push more water inland.
"We have flooding, extensive flooding along our coast right now. We have 126 miles of waterfront land here in Tampa, and that is only going to rise. We are at low tide," she told CNN. "The tide is coming in. We expect that king high tide around noon to 1 (p.m. ET) and that's going to bring in several additional feet of water."
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said water levels continue to rise in the area from Tampa Bay to Panama City with the agency's tide station at Cedar Key measuring 6.8 feet (2 meters) above normal.
More than 4,400 people have taken refuge at shelters established by the American Red Cross, according to data on the humanitarian organization's website. Over 245,000 residents are without power as Idalia traverses the state, according to the Poweroutage.us website.
