TS Idalia: Tampa Bay Flooding, 2 Deaths, Publix Status, Bridges Open

Updated at 7:30 p.m.

FLORIDA — Emergency responders have fanned out across Florida from Tampa Bay to the Big Bend region to check for people trapped in homes, assess possible damage to bridges, and begin the work to restor power in the wake of Hurricane Idalia.

Late Wednesday the National Hurricane Center said Idalia had weakened to tropical storm status as it moved across Georgia. At 6 p.m. it had sustained winds of 35 mph.

Wednesday afternoon, winds of 50 to 60 mph kept the Sunshine Skyway Bridge closed but reopened late in the day. The fishing piers and rest areas remain closed because of flooding.

All lanes of Howard Frankland Bridge have reopened, which connects Tampa and St. Petersburg.
All lanes of the Courtney Campbell Causeway, which runs between Clearwater and Tampa, have reopened, and the Gandy Bridge, connecting Tampa and St. Petersburg, was the first closed bridge to reopen Wedenesday morning.

Bridges to all Pinellas County barrier islands reopened at 5 p.m.

The storm reached category 4 hurricane strength by 5 a.m. Wednesday before making landfall as a category 3 storm in the Big Bend area of Florida. Authorities shared warnings to stay out of floodwaters as two deaths were reported, showed images of storm surge flooding from St. Pete north to the Cedar Key area, and noted Tampa area barrier islands are closed.

A 40-year-old man in Florida, whose name has not been publicly identified, died in Pasco County—which contains the city of Tampa—early Wednesday morning, after losing control of his vehicle while driving in the hurricane, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said a 59-year-old man from Gainesville, Florida, was also killed on Wednesday after veering into a ditch and hitting a tree while driving, local ABC affiliate WCJR reported.

At a 12:30 p.m. briefing, Gov. Ron DeSantis said those deaths can't officially be attributed to the storm until authorities and medical examiners weigh in.

Related:

• Don’t Frolic In Hurricane Idalia Floodwaters: FL Officials
• Danger Isn't Over From Hurricane Idalia, Says National Weather Service

Tallahassee avoided major damage, he said, as the storm veered away a bit.

Florida residents are “going to see a lot of efforts at power restoration ... we’re going to do whatever we need to do to get these communities back on their feet,” DeSantis said.

Officials urged residents to check Florida511.com for updates on closed roads and bridges around the state.

The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport reopened at 3 p.m. and Tampa International Airport resumed operations at 4 p.m.

Major General John D. Haas, Florida adjutant general, said 55,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen have been activated to help with search and rescue operations, clearing roads blocked by downed trees, and highwater rescues in northeast counties.

Publix stores in much of Tampa Bay are open Wednesday, but stores in several other counties remain closed. As of 2:45 p.m. store in St. Petersburg Beach, Holmes Beach and Longboat Key were closed.

Astounded by the flooding that turned Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard into a river, Bill Hall watched a paddleboarder ride along the major thoroughfare.

“This is actually unbelievable,” Hall said. “I haven’t seen anything like this in years.”

“For those who have chosen to remain on the beaches despite the mandatory evacuation order, please restrict your water and toilet usage,” the city of Clearwater posted. “Due to flooding, the city’s lift stations and stormwater system are under strain.”

Related:

• Is Publix Open? Some FL Stores Closed, Opening Late Wednesday
• Rare 'St. Elmo's Fire' Phenomenon Captured During Hurricane Idalia
• Widespread Flooding Inundates Downtown Tampa, Bayshore Due To Idalia
• Major Bridges Closed Throughout Tampa Bay Area: Hurricane Idalia
• Widespread Flooding Inundates Pasco, Pinellas Following Idalia

Statewide, about 255,000 utility customers were without power late Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US, and the number continues to climb as winds knock down trees and power lines in the northeast part of Florida. Columbia, Suwanee, Taylor and Madison counties report the most outages there.

Duke Energy said there are more than 18,000 customers in Pinellas County without power. View the Duke Energy Outage Map to see where power outages are occurring and estimated restoration times.

Tampa Flooding

Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw viewed the damage and flooding along Bayshore Boulevard in the wake of Hurricane Idalia, which are impassable due to floodwaters. He warned residents to remain at home and not to drive through the flooded roads.

Even Tampa police sports utility vehicles aren't able to assess some roads. The police department is using high-water rescue vehicles to respond to requests for rescues from residents who are trapped in their homes.

"This is why you don’t drive through flooded streets," Bercaw said, noting a car abandoned in the flood waters near Tampa General Hospital. "Even a few inches of water can cause you to lose control of your vehicle and salt water can damage your engine."

For Tampa Electric customers experiencing power outages:

• Log into your online account at TecoAccount.com to report the outage with one click.
• Visit TampaElectric.com/Outage and report your outage and get restoration status.
• Text OUT to 27079.
• Text UPDATE or STATUS for updates on your reported outage.
• Call 1-877-588-1010, Tampa Electric’s dedicated toll-free automated power outage phone system.
• Go to TecoAccount.com/Notifications and sign up for free outage notifications by text, email or phone calls.

Pinellas Flooding

As tempting as it is to go outside and witness the flooding and other damage from Hurricane Idalia, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has three words of advice: "Don't do it."

Pinellas County is experiencing widespread flooding on city streets and in neighborhoods, downed trees and power lines, and businesses and homes inundated with water, he said. Some roads are impassable and he said rescue vehicles are having problems accessing some areas.

Not only is there the danger of live downed power lines underwater but the floodwaters are contaminated and there's the potential of being exposed to deadly bacteria.

All of the barrier island beaches in Pinellas County are closed to the public including Clearwater Beach where more flooding is expected at high tide around 11:15 a.m.

Big Bend Area Hit Hard

“We have multiple trees down, debris in the roads, do not come,” posted the fire and rescue department on the island of Cedar Key, where a tide gauge measured the storm surge at 6.8 feet (2 meters) — enough to submerge most of the downtown. “We have propane tanks blowing up all over the island.”

Idalia came ashore in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. It made landfall near Keaton Beach at 7:45 a.m. as a high-end Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph (205 kph).

The National Hurricane Center said at 6 a.m. that Idalia had sustained winds of 130 mph. By 8 a.m. wind speed had dropped to 120 mph as the storm moved east of Tallahassee. As of 10 a.m., winds were steady at 105 mph and the storm's impact was spreading into Georgia.

"Right now everyone needs to stay inside, it just made landfall," Tallahassee mayor John E. Daily told CBS News.

That city is less worried about a storm surge than flooding from heavy rains, he said. Many residents evacuated as a precaution.

“Don’t put your life at risk by doing anything dumb at this point,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “This thing’s powerful. If you’re inside, just hunker down until it gets past you.”

Related: Hurricane Idalia Latest: Flooding, Power Outages, Damage

Storm surge continues to be a concern in the Tampa Bay area.

In Tarpon Springs, 60 patients were evacuated from a hospital out of concern that the system could bring a 7-foot (2.1-meter) storm surge, the Associated Press reported.

WFLA reported streets near the downtown Tampa Riverwalk are flooded. The Hillsborough River is overflowing onto the Riverwalk south of Kennedy Avenue.

Police in Treasure Island reported water had started coming over the sea wall in some areas along the Intracoastal. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office reported 3 to 4 feet of water on Sunset Way in Pinellas County, and video showed flooding on Pass-A-Grille Way. St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said on social media that police officers are the city's "eyes & ears as we assess flooding & damage early this morning. Low lying areas aren’t safe - stay off the roads & avoid contact w/ flood waters if possible."

Residents are encouraged to remain safely off the roads until public officials are able to assess dangers along roadways and throughout Hillsborough County, officials said.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN that there is extensive coastal flooding, with high tide between noon and 1 p.m. likely to bring in even more flooding. Two of the three bridges that connect Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are closed; all bridges have been closed except Gandy Bridge.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office closed access to the county’s barrier islands at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. Residents and visitors will not be allowed access to these areas:

• Belleair Beach
• Belleair Shore
• Clearwater
• Dunedin Causeway/ Honeymoon Island
• Indian Rocks Beach
• Indian Shores
• Madeira Beach
• North Redington Beach
• Redington Beach
• Redington Shores
• St. Pete Beach
• Tierra Verde
• Treasure Island

Storm surge inundation could reach 6 to 9 feet along the Hernando and Pasco county coastlines, 4 to 6 feet for the Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Manatee county coastlines, 3 to 5 feet along the Sarasota county coast, and 2 to 4 feet along Charlotte and Lee counties, the weather service said.

No deaths have been reported because of the storm.

Rain bands from Idalia will continue to lift over the area Wednesday. A slight to moderate risk for flooding is possible, mainly along the coast and across the northern zones, closer to the center of the storm. Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches are possible.

"Please stay home and don’t try to drive in flooded areas," St. Pete Police said on social media.

Tampa Bay area watches and warnings Wednesday are:

• A Storm Surge Warning and Hurricane Warning are in effect for Coastal Citrus, Coastal Hernando, Coastal Hillsborough, Coastal Levy, Coastal Manatee, Coastal Pasco, Inland Citrus, and
• Pinellas counties.
• A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Inland Hernando, Inland Hillsborough, Inland Levy, Inland Manatee, Inland Pasco, and Sumter.
• A Storm Surge Warning and Tropical Storm Warning are in effect for Coastal Sarasota
• A Tropical Storm Warning and Storm Surge Watch are in effect for Coastal Charlotte and Coastal Lee
• A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for DeSoto, Hardee, Inland Charlotte, Inland Lee, Inland Sarasota, and Polk

As the storm heads northeast into Georgia, the NHC has issued a tropical storm warning that extends all the way to the Virginia-North Carolina border.

At 8 a.m. ET the eye of Hurricane Idalia was located by Tallahassee radar about 10 miles south-southeast of Perry, Florida. Idalia is moving toward the north-northeast near 18 mph. The storm's center should move into southern Georgia later Wednesday.

Idalia is forecast to turn toward the northeast and east-northeast, moving near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina late Wednesday and Thursday.
Maximum sustained winds are estimated near 120 mph with higher gusts. Idalia remains a category 3 hurricane. Idalia is forecast to be a tropical storm while moving near the coasts of northeastern South Carolina and North Carolina.

"All residents need to stay in shelter today. Please wait until officials give the all clear before venturing out," the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee said. "To put this into historical context, there are NO major hurricanes (category 3+) in the historical dataset going back to 1851 that have tracked into Apalachee Bay. This has the makings of an unprecedented event for this part of the state.

"You need to hunker down and shelter in place," the weather service said. "Additionally, we want to urge those along the I-75 corridor in south Georgia to prepare for potentially destructive hurricane-force winds. ... Life-threatening and catastrophic storm surge is expected around the shores of Apalachee Bay."

Here are watches and warnings issued by the National Weather Service as of 8 a.m.:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...
* Englewood northward to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay
* St. Catherine's Sound Georgia to South Santee River South Carolina

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* Middle of Longboat Key northward to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay
* Altamaha Sound Georgia to Edisto Beach South Carolina

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Bonita Beach northward to the Middle of Longboat Key
* West of Indian Pass to Mexico Beach
* Sebastian Inlet Florida to the North Carolina/Virginia border
* Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* Bonita Beach northward to Englewood, including Charlotte Harbor
* Mouth of the St. Mary's River to St. Catherine's Sound Georgia
* Beaufort Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet North Carolina
* Neuse and Pamlico Rivers North Carolina

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* Mouth of the St. Mary's River to Altamaha Sound
* Edisto Beach to South Santee River South Carolina

A Storm Surge Warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline in the indicated locations. This is a life-threatening situation.
Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions. Promptly follow
evacuation and other instructions from local officials.

This story contains reporting by The Associated Press.