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FLORIDA — Hurricane Idalia officially made its landfall as a Category 3 storm on Wednesday morning.
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says the landfall happened at 7:45 a.m. at Keaton Beach in the Florida Big Bend. It is the first major hurricane to make landfall in this part of Florida going back to 1851.
While Idalia weakened from a Category 4 to Category 3 before its landfall, catastrophic and life-threatening impacts are expected with the storm.
Monahan says Idalia is forecasted to weaken to a Category 2 or Category 1 as it moves across south Georgia.
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Hurricane warnings are in effect for parts of south Georgia. Tropical storm watches and warnings for south and southeast GA and along the GA coast. A tornado watch has been issued for those areas as well.
Storm surge is forecast to get as high as 12-16 feet along the big bend of Florida and 2 to 4 feet along coastal Georgia.
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8:15 a.m.
President Joe Biden will speak Wednesday afternoon about the ongoing federal government response to Hurricane Idalia.
7:45 a.m.
Hurricane Idalia makes landfall as a Category 3 storm. Monahan says the storm has sustained winds of 125 mph.
7:05 a.m.
Idalia has been downgraded to a Category 3 but remains a powerful storm.
Catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds are occurring in the Florida Big Bend.
6:24 a.m.
6 a.m.
Catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds will begin soon in the Florida Big Bend near where the core of the hurricane makes landfall.
Idalia is about 55 miles WNW of Cedar Key, Florida. Channel 2′s Jorge Estevez is reporting nearby from Cross City, Florida for Channel 2 Action News This Morning.
Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says landfall is expected within the next 90 minutes to two hours.
5 a.m.
Idalia officially strengthened into an :”extremely dangerous” Category 4 hurricane, according to the NHC.
Catastrophic and life-threatening impacts from storm surge and winds are expected as Idalia moves ashore in Florida.
4 a.m.
Data from hurricane hunters shows that Idalia continues to rapidly intensify and its pressure is dropping quickly.
Idalia’s winds are up to 125 mph with higher gusts.
2 a.m.
Idalia strengthened into a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds at 120 mph. Life-threatening storm surge and destructive winds are expected
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