Independent reporter Wid Lyman embedded with the Florida National Guard as they launched a rescue and relief operation in Cedar Key, where Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm on August 30.
Widespread damage to homes and businesses can be seen in this exclusive footage shot in the hours after the hurricane tore through the coastal community, located on the Big Bend of Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis left the presidential campaign trail to oversee preparation and recovery efforts while also making a brief stop in Cedar Key to survey damage.
“They’re getting smarter. They turn off all the power so we don’t have blown transformers. They turn it all off before bad stuff happens,” one resident said.