Hurricane Idalia: 850 flights cancelled, 230,000 left without power as category 3 storm hits Florida. Top Points

livemint.com:

Hurricane Idalia hit Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday flooding several parts of the US state in precursor to what weather agencies believe will be a long season of more than predicted severe storms that is likely to go on till November this year. A category 3 storm hit Florida on Wednesday unleashing threats to life, property, with surging probability of rainfall across an area that has never before received such pummelling. Hurricanes are measured on a five category scale, with a Category 5 being the strongest.

A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale considered a major hurricane and the National Hurricane Center says a Category 4 storm brings “catastrophic damage." Last year hurricane Ian was responsible for almost 150 deaths. That Category 5 hurricane damaged 52,000 structures, nearly 20,000 of which were destroyed or severely damaged. -More than 230,000 customers were without electricity as trees snapped by strong winds brought down power lines and rushing water covered streets, reported AP. -Idalia came ashore in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula.

It made landfall near Keaton Beach at 7.45 am as a high-end Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph (205 kph). -In Tallahassee, Florida's capital city, the power went out well before the center of the storm arrived. -Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey urged everyone to shelter in place — it was too late to risk going outside.