Idalia updates: Damaging tornadoes, severe flooding from Florida to Carolinas
Idalia, now a tropical storm, touched down in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane.
Idalia touched down in Florida's Big Bend region on Wednesday morning as a powerful Category 3 hurricane -- the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the Apalachee Bay.
Idalia has since weakened into a tropical storm and moved inland over Georgia and the Carolinas.
Latest headlines:
Idalia brings rain, wind to North Carolina's Outer Banks before moving off coast
Idalia is bringing gusty winds, rain and storm surge to North Carolina's Outer Banks before the storm moves off the coast in about one hour.
Tropical storm and flash flood warnings are expected to be discontinued in North Carolina soon.
Idalia is forecast to move over Bermuda by Sunday, possibly as a tropical cyclone with winds near 50 mph.
1 death reported in Georgia
One person died from the storm in Georgia when a tree fell on a car in Lowndes County, along the Florida border, according to James Stallings, director of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency.
Gov. Brian Kemp plans to visit south Georgia on Friday.
DeSantis, FEMA administrator to tour hard-hit areas
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he'll tour some of the hard-hit areas, like Cedar Key, to assess the damage.
Idalia has ripped down buildings, toppled trees and submerged entire neighborhoods.
DeSantis said there's a massive amount of debris left behind because Idalia struck a region with a lot of trees.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, who joined DeSantis at his briefing in Florida, added, "We are committed to bringing the entire federal family in here to support."
President Joe Biden spoke with DeSantis Thursday morning and signed a Major Disaster Declaration, according to the White House.
While at least two fatalities have been reported in Florida, Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, said there are no confirmed deaths.
Over 240,000 without power in Florida, Georgia
Over 140,000 customers in Florida are still without power and another 105,000 customers are waking up in the dark in Georgia in the wake of Hurricane Idalia.
Taylor County in Florida's Big Bend region, which includes the hard-hit city of Perry, is completely without power, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
DeSantis addresses balancing hurricane management with presidential campaign
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday that the "nasty weather" from Hurricane Idalia will reach the Gulf Coast Tuesday night and he urged residents to implement their action plans immediately.
"We are going to be faced with a major hurricane hitting the state of Florida within the next 24 to 36 hours," he said.
"You still have some time this morning and into the early afternoon. But as we get throughout this day, you are going to start to see rain and wind pick up, particularly the further south you are in the state of Florida," he said. "And by the time we get to the end of tonight, you know, you’re going to see some nasty weather, so just be warned about that and do what you need to do right now."
Asked about balancing crisis management with campaigning for president, DeSantis said, "You do what you need to do.”
He said he was "in the midst of a governor campaign" during Hurricane Ian in 2022.
"I had all kinds of stuff scheduled not just in Florida, around the country, you know, we were doing different things. And, you know, you do what you need to do, I mean, and so that’s what we’re doing. And so it’s going to be no different than what we did during Hurricane Ian," he said.
-ABC News' Hannah Demissie and Will McDuffie
