Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that the eye of Hurricane Idalia has left the state after making landfall as a Category 3 storm this morning and wreaking havoc across Florida.
"The eye of Hurricane Idalia has left the state of Florida. The state is still being impacted by the storm’s bands and we’re seeing that particularly in the northern part of the state," DeSantis said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
DeSantis claimed that so far, no deaths have been confirmed as a direct result of the storm. Two men were killed in car crashes while attempting to flee before the hurricane made landfall.
The governor stated that 262,000 people who lost power due to the hurricane have had their electricity restored, but "more than 250,000 accounts that are currently out of power and in need of restoration."
Both the number of power outages and power restorations are expected to rise, he said.
Search and rescue teams have been dispatched to the hardest-hit areas, including members of the National Guard who are working to clear roads of debris.
DeSantis announced that Tampa International Airport would reopen by Wednesday afternoon and other airports affected by the storm would reopen by tomorrow.
DeSantis further stated that he would visit the counties that were most affected by the storm later today.
Prior to landfall, the governor declared a state of emergency in the 33 counties that were expected to bear the brunt of the hurricane's wrath. He also activated the Florida Disaster Fund to support communities impacted by the storm.
Idalia has moved north from Florida into the State of Georgia.