"Hurricane Idalia Strikes Florida Coast: Live Updates and Evacuations"

Historic Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 tropical cyclone, made landfall in Florida's Big Bend, causing "catastrophic" storm surge and flooding. The hurricane, about the size of Colorado, is one of the most powerful storms to hit Florida in over a century. More than 250,000 homes and businesses are without power, and a state of emergency has been declared in 49 counties. Idalia is forecast to become a tropical storm as it moves towards South Carolina and North Carolina. Hurricane warnings have been issued for parts of the East Coast.