Hurricane Idalia crashed into Florida as a fearsome Category 3 storm Wednesday morning, ripping roofs off homes and leaving entire neighborhoods submerged before tearing into Georgia.
Hurricane Idalia crashed into Florida as a fearsome Category 3 storm Wednesday morning, ripping roofs off homes and leaving entire neighborhoods submerged before tearing into Georgia and sending residents scrambling for cover.
The historic storm’s assault began in Florida’s sparsely populated Big Bend region at 7:45 a.m., toppling power lines, unmooring boats and propelling debris as water levels vaulted 9 feet in just two hours.
“All hell broke loose,” said Belond Thomas of hard-hit Perry, Florida.
Thomas and his family relocated to an inland motel to ride out the storm — but didn’t venture quite far enough.
The building’s roof eventually tore off, showering the huddled clan with debris.
“It was frightening,” he said. “Things were just going so fast. Everything was spinning.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, at least 500,000 residents remained without power across Florida and Georgia while line crews raced across both states to repair the damage.
Officials said at least two people died in vehicle accidents during the storm’s north Florida rampage, with winds of up to 125 mph creating chaos on roadways.
A 59-year-old Gainesville man was killed after careening into a ditch and crashing into a tree line, highway patrol officials reported.
In Pasco County, a 40-year-old man drove his pickup truck “too fast for conditions” and lost control due to “inclement weather,” authorities said.
“Don’t put your life at risk by doing anything dumb at this point,” Gov.
