Hurricane Idalia grinds into Georgia after slamming Florida

Hurricane Idalia plowed into Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday with fierce winds, torrential rains and pounding surf before weakening but turning its fury on southeastern Georgia, where floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes.

Hours after Idalia slammed ashore as a powerful Category 3 hurricane at Keaton Beach in Florida's Big Bend region packing winds of about 125 mph (201 kph), authorities were still trying to assess the full extent of damage in the hardest-hit areas.

Video footage and photographs from the region around Idalia's landfall showed ocean waters washing...