what parts of florida did idalia hit

Hurricane Idalia hit the Big Bend region of Florida, making landfall near Keaton Beach with maximum sustained winds around 125 mph as a Category 3 hurricane. The areas most affected included coastal communities in Taylor and Dixie Counties, where devastating storm surges of 7 to 12 feet above normally dry ground were observed, especially from Dekle Beach in Taylor County to Horseshoe Beach in Dixie County. The storm surge extended southward near Suwannee. Idalia's impact also included significant flooding and hurricane- force gusts along the Big Bend and Nature Coast areas. Cities like Crystal River (north of Tampa) were warned about storm surge threats, with the worst surge expected to coincide with high tide. The surge was record-breaking from the Big Bend region down to Tampa Bay, where roads flooded and hundreds of cars were submerged. Other vulnerable counties such as Madison, Lafayette, Hamilton, and rural North Florida areas like Pasco County experienced damage from flooding and wind. The storm continued inland affecting parts of south- central Georgia but its strongest impact in Florida was focused on the Nature Coast and Big Bend region.