Hurricane Idalia swamps Florida’s Big Bend. Take a look at before-and-after snapshots

Omar Rodríguez Ortiz
·1 min read

Hurricane Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning in Florida’s Big Bend Coast as a powerful Category 3 with destructive 125 mph winds — causing widespread flooding and life-threatening storm surge.

It was the first major hurricane to hit the region in more than 125 years.

Satellite images released by a space technology company show two communities in Florida’s Big Bend Coast looked before and after Hurricane Idalia swept through the region.

Maxar Technologies, a Colorado-based company, provided the Miami Herald with satellite photos showing views of Ozello and the Crystal River from space before and after Idalia. The “before” images were taken Jan. 12; the “after” photos were snapped Wednesday.

See for yourself:

Ozello

Ozello is an unincorporated community in Citrus County, located between Crystal River and Homosassa on the state’s west coast. The area has several hundred residents.

This is how Ozello, Florida looked before Hurricane Idalia on Jan. 12, 2023.
This is how Ozello, Florida looked before Hurricane Idalia on Jan. 12, 2023.
This is how Ozello, Florida looked after Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
This is how Ozello, Florida looked after Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.

READ MORE: Idalia’s wind, flood and storm surge damage in Florida was caught on video. Take a look

This is how a section of Ozello, Florida looked before Hurricane Idalia on Jan. 12, 2023.
This is how a section of Ozello, Florida looked before Hurricane Idalia on Jan. 12, 2023.
This is how a section of Ozello, Florida looked after Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
This is how a section of Ozello, Florida looked after Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.

READ MORE: Watch how Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach looked as Hurricane Idalia got closer to Florida

Crystal River

Crystal River, home to the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, is a coastal city in western Florida with about 3,000 residents.

This is how Crystal River, Florida looked before Hurricane Idalia on Jan. 12, 2023.
This is how Crystal River, Florida looked before Hurricane Idalia on Jan. 12, 2023.
This is how Crystal River, Florida looked after Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.
This is how Crystal River, Florida looked after Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, 2023.

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