Explore the Florida Power Outage Map: Track Areas Affected by Power Loss as Hurricane Idalia Approaches Landfall
Anticipated power outages span a considerable portion of Florida as Hurricane Idalia edges closer to the state’s coastline as a formidable Category 3 storm, slated for arrival on Wednesday morning. Ryan Truchelut, the Chief Meteorologist at Weather Tiger, noted that the storm is projected to make landfall somewhere south of Perry in central Taylor County, between 8 and 9 a.m.
The latest update indicated that the Florida Big Bend region is under imminent threat from catastrophic storm surges and destructive winds. Even after making landfall, Idalia is expected to retain hurricane strength while traversing southern Georgia and possibly hugging the coasts of Georgia or southern South Carolina later in the day.
Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has declared a state of emergency in 49 of the state’s 67 counties, encompassing the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast. Residents in evacuation zones were strongly urged to evacuate immediately.
DeSantis stressed during a news conference on Tuesday night that swift action is necessary, as delaying evacuation could lead to increasingly adverse weather conditions.
In the National Weather Service’s 5 a.m. update, Idalia’s trajectory was reported to be moving at a swift pace of 18 mph, heading north-northeast. The update also cautioned that Idalia could potentially intensify further before making landfall later in the morning.
The National Weather Service described this impending storm as an “unprecedented event,” emphasizing that no major hurricane, especially one of Category 3 or higher, has ever directly hit Apalachee Bay within the Big Bend area.
Keep yourself informed about power outages across the state through our USA TODAY power outage map.
Live Updates: The potential for a “catastrophic” storm surge looms as Hurricane Idalia edges closer to making landfall in Florida.
Power Outage Map: Monitor the power outage situation in Naples and Collier County as Hurricane Idalia’s impact spreads across Florida.
Florida Power Outage Map: As of 6:53 a.m. ET, reports have indicated more than 88,000 instances of power loss in Florida, primarily along the Gulf Coast, as documented by Power Outage Us.
Notable numbers include over 19,000 reported outages in Pinellas County, nearly 9,000 in Wakulla County, and over 7,000 in Sarasota County. Additionally, Citrus, Leon, and Levy counties each registered over 4,000 reported outages.
Hurricane Idalia Path Tracker: This forecasted path showcases the most likely trajectory of the storm’s center. However, it doesn’t encompass the storm’s full breadth or its associated impacts. The storm’s center could potentially deviate outside the projected path by up to 33% of the time.
