In the lead-up to Hurricane Idalia's arrival in Florida, the storm had developed into a menacing Category 4 hurricane hovering near the state's western coastline. Forecasts suggested that it would continue to gain strength right up until it made landfall. However, as the sun began to rise an hour later, there were signs that the hurricane had initiated a process of replacing the protective wall around its eye. Experts believe this phenomenon played a crucial role in preventing the storm from further intensifying. According to the Hurricane Center's 7 am update, the maximum winds had decreased to approximately 125 mph (205 kph).

Following the commencement of the eyewall replacement process, the hurricane made a sudden and unexpected shift away from Tallahassee, a city housing approximately 200,000 residents, including Florida State University and numerous others in the metropolitan area. Rather than targeting the state's capital, the storm veered in a north-northeast direction and officially hit land near Keaton Beach, Florida, as confirmed by the Hurricane Center's announcement at 7:45 am.

Even though the eyewall replacement cycle had impacted Idalia, the hurricane remained a significant threat, capable of generating storm surges reaching heights of up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) along certain stretches of Florida's coastline. During such a cycle, a hurricane might also experience a broadening of its wind field, which could result in a wider area being subjected to hurricane-force winds. However, Idalia shifted its path over land, causing friction that diminished the wind speeds near the surface.

Once the storm made landfall, it was moving fast with a forward speed of around 18 mph (30 kph), the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm first made landfall on Wednesday in Florida, where it razed homes and downed power poles. It then swung northeast, slamming Georgia, flooding many of South Carolina’s beaches and sending seawater into the streets of downtown Charleston. In North Carolina it poured more than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain on Whiteville, which flooded downtown buildings.

Thousands of utility linemen rushed to restore power in Florida but nearly 100,000 customers were still without electricity Thursday night.

The storm had moved away from the US coast early Thursday and spun out into the Atlantic, still packing winds of 65 mph (105 kph). It could hit Bermuda on Saturday, bringing heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding to the island, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Meanwhile, residents along the path of destruction returned to pick through piles of rubble that used to be homes. They threw tarps over ripped-apart roofs and gingerly navigated streets left underwater or clogged with fallen trees and dangerous electric wires.

Residents of Horseshoe Beach in central Big Bend, most of whom evacuated inland during the storm, helped each other clear debris or collect belongings — high school trophies, photos, records, china. They frequently stopped to hug amid tears. Six-foot-high watermarks stained walls still standing, marking the extent of the storm surge.

Florida officials said there was one hurricane-related death in the Gainesville area, but didn’t release any details. The state’s highway patrol reported earlier that two people were killed in separate weather-related crashes just hours before Idalia made landfall. A man in Valdosta, Georgia, died when a tree fell on him as he tried to clear another tree out of the road, Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis toured the area with his wife, Casey, and federal emergency officials. “I’ve seen a lot of really heartbreaking damage,” he said. But unlike previous storms, Idalia didn’t wreak havoc on major urban centers. It provided only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas, DeSantis noted.

President Joe Biden spoke to DeSantis and promised whatever federal aid is available. Biden also announced that he will go to Florida on Saturday to see the damage himself. The president used a news conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s headquarters to send a message to Congress, especially those lawmakers who are balking at his request for $12 billion in emergency funding to respond to natural disasters.