ATLANTA — Idalia (ee-DAL-ya) strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane overnight before weakening slightly back to a Category 3 storm ahead of landfall Wednesday. Landfall along the big bend of Florida occurred 7:45a.m. Wednesday.
The storm moved across Georgia as a hurricane, then was downgraded to a tropical storm as it was about to move across the South Carolina state line. As of Thursday morning, the storm is now heading out to sea.
In the aftermath of the storm, significant damage occurred in southern Georgia near Valdosta, both from high winds and flooding rains. And near landfall, storm surge levels were above 10 feet.
Idalia, like most landfalling major hurricanes, underwent rapid intensification on its final approach through the Gulf.
