Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach, Florida, in the Big Bend region, at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT on August 30, 2023

. It struck as a strong Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds around 125 mph, making it the strongest hurricane to hit Florida's Big Bend in over 125 years

. The Big Bend area is where the Florida peninsula meets the panhandle, characterized by sparsely populated natural habitats