Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach, Florida, in the Big Bend region of the state on the morning of August 30, 2023, around 7:45 AM ET. It struck as a strong Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph
. The Big Bend area includes coastal counties such as Levy, Dixie, and Taylor, where devastating storm surge flooding occurred, with surge heights ranging from 7 to 12 feet above normally dry ground in some locations
. This landfall was historic for the Florida Big Bend region, causing significant wind damage, flooding, and power outages
