Watch full force of lethal Hurricane Idalia as it bears down on Florida and starts pounding the coastline with fierce 156mph winds and 16ft storm surges

Hurricane Idalia strengthened into a “catastrophic and dangerous” Category 4 storm Wednesday morning as it steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region, unleashing deadly storm surges and torrential rain on helpless citizens.

Idalia was expected to make landfall early Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of up to 155 mph in the Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves toward the peninsula.

Large swathes of Florida’s coastal communities are already under water, several major roads are closed, and about 50,000 people are without power during the flood.

Now, oneAs dawn breaks on this fateful day, the haunting echoes of last year’s Hurricane Ian are still fresh, a painful reminder of the vulnerability facing Florida residents.

But the bay-bounding Big Bend area hasn’t seen such a ferocious hurricane in living memory, leading the National Weather Service in Tallahassee to call Idalia “an unprecedented event.”

Hurricanes are measured on a five-category scale, with category 5 being the strongest. A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale to be considered a major hurricane.

The National Hurricane Center warns that “catastrophic damage will occur” when a Category 4 hurricane unleashes its fury.

As the clock ticks and the storm draws closer, the seriousness of the situation becomes clearer.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis solemnly told residents last night, “You really need to go now. This is the time.’

And ohOn the island of Cedar Key, Commissioner Sue Colson delivered a chillingly short and direct message.

“One word: leave,” Colson said. “It’s not something to talk about.”