Hurricane Idalia moved west of the greater Tampa Bay region and made landfall Tuesday in the Big Bend region, but its impact was still felt throughout West Central Florida.
Storm surge caused by the major hurricane resulted in flooded streets across the area.
Reporters documented the treacherous conditions after Idalia made landfall.
Downtown Tampa
Wading through a big stretch of the Tampa Riverwalk that's flooded, the waterfront has shifted; it is going all the way back to the grass several dozen feet. Parts of the Riverwalk receded a little bit in terms of flooding, but the Hillsborough River was still very high. The water was lapping up right against the sidewalk, spilling over in some places. You could see on the other side of the river near the University of Tampa that it was going right up to the lawn.
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Areas in downtown Tampa and near the Tampa Riverwalk were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
Bayshore Boulevard
Hillsborough Bay spilled over onto Bayshore Boulevard, including both directions of traffic and into the homes and apartment buildings. Police had blocked the road to traffic, but some folks walked around on the median, which was the only thing not underwater.
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Daniel Porter managed to have some fun on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa after the road was flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
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Stephanie Colombini / WUSF Public Media
Belleair Beach
The impacts of Hurricane Idalia could be seen along Pinellas beaches, which suffered beach erosion and collected debris.
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
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Hurricane Idalia caused significant beach erosion along Belleair Beach on Aug. 31, 2023.
Daylina Miller / WUSF Public Media
Safety Harbor
Wading through some of the floodwaters at Waterfront Park, it could be seen from a little past your ankles to past your shins, depending on the locations. Some trees were underwater, along with benches and lights. One family came to walk their dogs just to get out of the house because they were cooped up from the hurricane, and the dogs were playing in the water. The family said they've lived in the area about 30 years and haven't seen anything like this before in terms of the flooding.
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Jessica Meszaros
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Jessica Meszaros / WUSF Public Media
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Chuck Vincent / Courtesy
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Jessica Meszaros
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Jessica Meszaros
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Jessica Meszaros
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Jessica Meszaros
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Jessica Meszaros
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Jessica Meszaros
Weeki Wachee/Homosassa
State troopers blocked the approaches to Weeki Wachee and to Pine Island on the Hernando County coast.
One trooper said the water level was up to the bridge where Rogers Park is over the Weeki Wachee River and nobody's going to be allowed in until probably later Wednesday.
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Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
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Roads in Weeki Wachee were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
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Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
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Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
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Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
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Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
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Steve Newborn / WUSF Public Media
Indian Rocks Beach
The Gulf of Mexico spilled over onto the Pinellas beaches, forcing closure of the barrier islands.
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Daylina Miller
WUSF Public Media
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Daylina Miller
WUSF Public Media
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Daylina Miller
WUSF Public Media
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Daylina Miller
WUSF Public Media
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Daylina Miller
WUSF Public Media
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Streets on Indian Rocks Beach were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Erica DiCeglie / Courtesy
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Streets on Indian Rocks Beach were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Erica DiCeglie / Courtesy
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Streets on Indian Rocks Beach were flooded following Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
Erica DiCeglie / Courtesy
