Hurricane Idalia made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida, where the Florida peninsula meets the Panhandle. It struck near Keaton Beach and impacted counties including Levy, Dixie, and Taylor, causing devastating storm surge with water levels rising 12 to 16 feet along the coast. The storm brought hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall inland across northern Florida, affecting a wide central portion of the state including areas near Columbia and Madison counties, which are close to the Georgia border. The storm then moved northeastward into southern Georgia and the Carolinas

. In summary, the parts of Florida hit by Idalia were primarily the Big Bend and Nature Coast regions along the Gulf coast, extending inland through northern central Florida.