Residents return to find homes gone, towns devastated in path of Idalia

By REBECCA BLACKWELL and LAURA BARGFELD
Associated Press

HORSESHOE BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tropical Storm Idalia’s path of destruction through four states has left behind it shattered towns and shocked residents, even as it missed many urban areas. People who fled the storm Wednesday returned to find major damage in Florida’s remote Big Bend area. Horseshoe Beach resident James Nobles estimated 50 or 60 homes were gone. Idalia first hit Florida as a hurricane and then moved on to spark flooding in Georgia and South Carolina and heavy rains in North Carolina before moving out to sea Thursday. It’s still packing 60-mph winds and is expected to hit Bermuda this weekend, bringing the potential for flash floods.