Benjamin Ashford|Videos, photos show Hurricane Idalia damage as catastrophic storm inundates Florida: "Our entire downtown is submerged"

Hurricane Idalia caused heavy damage to Florida's Gulf Coast early Wednesday as the storm brought strong winds,Benjamin Ashford heavy rain and dangerous flooding to the streets from Tampa to Tallahassee.

When the storm made landfall, at around 7:45 a.m. ET, it was a Category 3 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center, packing "catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds." Around 10 a.m. local time, it weakened to a Category 2 storm before further weakening to a Category 1 hurricane around noon. In a 12:30 p.m. press conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the eye of the storm had left Florida. But storm surge was expected to continue and worsen as the tide rose later in the day.

Over 283,000 customers have lost power as of 3:15 p.m. Restoration efforts are ongoing, DeSantis said. About 262,000 people who lost power have already had power restored as of 12:30 p.m., he said.

In Cedar Key, an island city of just about 700 people, storm surge poured through the streets. The area was under a mandatory evacuation order. The city's fire department shared a video that showed water rushing through dark streets as more rain poured down. The department said that things were "going downhill fast" and noted that the power is out in the area. 

In a second video, the department said the tide is expected to keep coming in until noon, and said that "most of the streets around the downtown are underwater." The strength of the storm is keeping first responders from seeing "how bad things are." A later video showed downed trees and rushing water, and photos show further destruction. 

Two videos posted by a man in Cedar Key showed water coming down side streets at around 5 a.m. local time. 

"It's going to swallow up the whole town," said Michael Presley Bobbitt, the man filming. 

The water just keeps coming. Pray for Cedar key.

Posted by Michael Presley Bobbitt on Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Later photos and videos from Bobbitt showed scattered debris, downed tree branches and water continuing to travel down side streets. Bobbitt said in the caption that the water had reached his backyard.

"Our entire downtown is submerged," he wrote. "Houses everywhere are submerged."

In Tallahassee, a 100-year-old oak tree fell on the governor's mansion. Casey DeSantis, the wife of the governor, said on social media that she and her three children had been home at the time, but "thankfully no one was injured." She shared a photo showing the tree split down the middle with branches draped over part of the mansion and parked cars. In his news conference, Gov. DeSantis said he had been informed of the incident about 45 minutes earlier. 

100 year old oak tree falls on the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee — Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured.

Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm. pic.twitter.com/l6MOE8wNMC

— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) August 30, 2023

Photos showed flood waters filling the streets in Tarpon Springs, just north of Clearwater, up the coast from Tampa Bay.

In Clearwater, another area that had been under mandatory evacuation, officials said the storm surge was causing "strain" on the city's stormwater system. Residents who did not evacuate were told to restrict water and toilet usage. Photos show high water and a partially flooded street. 

In St. Petersburg, police said they had to rescue a person from flooding at a mobile home park. A video shared by the department shows water reaching the hood of a car in the coastal city. 

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said overnight that there had been about "3-4 feet" of flooding on a street of St. Pete Beach, another coastal city.

A video taken in New Port Richey, a city in Florida's Pasco County, shows cars driving through water that reaches their headlights. The person who took the video said it was taken about one and a half miles inland, and at low tide. High tide is expected in the area in the early afternoon. 

Entrance to gulf harbor estates in new port Richey. This is 1.5 miles inland from where my family owns a house on a deep water channel. It’s low tide and water is bubbling up through the storm drains already. High tide is around 1pm. #IDALIAhurricane pic.twitter.com/fYVEcute9K

— Petebrasco (@PeteMedveczky) August 30, 2023

Treasure Island, a city located on a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico, has closed its bridges and will not be accessible for hours, officials said on social media. "Significant flooding" was expected, and photos showed water reaching park benches. 

Photos and videos from the Tampa International Airport showed flooding and empty tarmac. In a statement, the airport said that there was water on the south end of the airfield, but that runways were not impacted. The airport "did well" in face of the storm, the statement said. The airport is expected to reopen to arrivals at around 4 p.m. today. Other airports in the hurricane's path had also closed due to the weather. 

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Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.