Hurricane Idalia was expected to make landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region on the Gulf Coast, particularly near Keaton Beach and the stretch between Cedar Key and the area south of Tallahassee.

Key details

  • Forecasts called for landfall on Florida’s northwest Gulf Coast, in the Big Bend where the peninsula meets the panhandle.
  • More specific projections placed the center of landfall near Keaton Beach, with very dangerous storm surge along that coast.
  • Meteorologists warned of a major hurricane (Category 3–4) at landfall, with storm surge heights over 10 feet in parts of the Big Bend shoreline.
  • After landfall, Idalia was expected to track inland across northern Florida, then into southern Georgia and the Carolinas.

Quick forum-style context

In local and online discussions, many people in places like Tallahassee and surrounding Big Bend communities were focused on preparations rather than big- city coverage, since forecasts consistently showed the core of Idalia aiming at this relatively rural stretch of coast rather than major metro areas.

TL;DR: Idalia was expected to come ashore as a strong hurricane on Florida’s Big Bend Gulf Coast, centered around Keaton Beach and nearby stretches between Cedar Key and south of Tallahassee.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.