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.
Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Aug 31, 2023, 7:32 AM EDT
Gusty winds, heavy rain from eastern North Carolina to southern Virginia
Idalia, now a tropical storm, churned over eastern North Carolina on Thursday morning, unleashing gusty winds and heavy rainfall as far as southern Virginia.
Tropical Storm Idalia churned near Wilmington, N.C., at 5 a.m. ET on Aug. 31, 2023.
ABC News
Meanwhile, a storm surge and coastal flooding was hitting North Carolina and its Outer Banks barrier islands.
Storm surge and coastal flooding from Tropical Storm Idalia hit North Carolina and its Outer Banks barrier islands on the morning of Aug. 31, 2023.
ABC News
A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Carolinas, mostly for North Carolina.
The latest forecast path for Idalia as of 5 a.m. ET on Aug. 31, 2023.
ABC News
Idalia is forecast to move out to sea by Thursday afternoon, taking the winds and rain with it.
The storm could bring gusty winds and heavy rain to Bermuda by late Sunday into early Monday.
-ABC News' Max Golembo
Aug 31, 2023, 7:10 AM EDT
Damaging tornadoes, severe flooding from Florida to Carolinas
There were at least three reported tornadoes on Wednesday after Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Florida and moved northeast across Georgia and the Carolinas as a tropical storm.
Two tornadoes were reported in South Carolina and one in Florida, with damage to structures and vehicles.
Wind gusts got up to 86 miles per hour in Mayo, Florida; 67 mph in Valdosta, Georgia; and 52 mph in Savannah, Georgia, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, as Idalia moved further inland, it produced some of the worst storm surge on record that flooded coastal cities from Florida to the Carolinas.
The highest storm surge -- up to 6.83 feet -- was recorded in Cedar Key, Florida. Tampa Bay, Florida, got hit with 4 to 5 feet, the highest storm surge since a 1921 hurricane. Charleston, South Carolina, saw 3.47 feet, the fifth highest storm surge on record, which flooded streets and neighborhoods, according to the National Weather Service.
The highest rainfall totals recorded in the southeastern United States since Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on Aug. 30, 2023.
ABC News
A flash flood emergency was reported in Valdosta, Georgia.
The highest rainfall total -- 9.97 inches -- was recorded in Statesboro, Georgia. Hampton, South Carolina, got 9.61 inches of rain while Citrus Springs, Florida, had 9.48 inches. Rain was still coming down in North Carolina on Thursday morning and the state has recorded 6 to 10 inches so far, according to the National Weather Service.
-ABC News' Max Golembo
Aug 30, 2023, 11:15 PM EDT
Tornado watch remains in effect for North Carolina coast
As Tropical Storm Idalia rages on, it’s now centered northwest of Charleston, South Carolina, and has sustained winds of 60 mph while moving at 21mph to the northeast. The storm is producing very heavy rain over the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Service.
A tornado watch remains in effect until 4 a.m. ET for the North Carolina coast, but South Carolina is removed from this watch.
Aug 30, 2023, 9:52 PM EDT
Tide in Charleston possibly 5th-highest on record, National Weather Service says
The tide in Charleston, South Carolina, is believed to be the fifth-highest peak tide on record, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
This Aug. 30, 2023, satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Idalia, center, over Florida and crossing into Georgia, and Hurricane Franklin, right, as it moves along off the East coast of the United States.
NOAA via AP
The tide level at Charleston Harbor peaked at 3.47 feet "mean higher high water," or 9.23 feet "mean lower low water," Wednesday evening, according to NWS.
