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Tropical Storm Idalia threatens the Carolinas with treacherous rain and flooding after pounding Florida and damaging thousands of homes | CNN

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Tropical Storm Idalia threatens the Carolinas with treacherous rain and flooding after pounding Florida and damaging thousands of homes | CNN


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CNN
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Some communities across Florida’s west coast battered by Idalia’s deluge and ferocious winds endured a “life-changing event,” an official says, after the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend region in at least 125 years delivered record water levels, damaging thousands of homes in its path.

Idalia, after making landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning, also pummeled parts of southeast Georgia and the Carolinas, flooding coastal areas and leaving hundreds of thousands of power outages.

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By early Thursday morning, Idalia had weakened to a tropical storm that was causing flash flooding in parts of eastern North Carolina and threatened more of the same through the morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm wreaked havoc as it smashed into Florida’s Big Bend area – the region between the panhandle and peninsula – near Keaton Beach on Wednesday morning, ripping roofs off buildings and flooding homes as it pushed feet of seawater onshore along a wide swath of the state’s west coast.

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Many of the areas that bore the brunt of the storm aren’t equipped to handle such a powerful hurricane, US Rep. Jared Moskowitz said Wednesday night.

“In those areas, a lot of them are fiscally constrained. They don’t necessarily have the resources,” Moskowitz, who represents a South Florida district and used to lead the state’s Division of Emergency Management, told CNN.

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“There are some communities that may never look the same and others that will get rebuilt that will look slightly different,” Moskowitz said. “This is a life-changing event for some of these counties.”

Officials urged thousands to evacuate before storm surge caused several record-high water levels from Tampa Bay through the Big Bend. The storm also downed power lines and caused flooding in parts of Georgia and South Carolina, including Charleston, and North Carolina, where flash flooding was reported early Thursday in Wilmington.

In Charleston, the storm tore down trees and led officials to close flooded roads, police said. Water also breached dunes at South Carolina’s Edisto Beach, the National Weather Service said.

TRACK IDALIA’S PATH HERE

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There was “one unconfirmed fatality” in Florida in the storm’s aftermath, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday.

Two men were killed in two separate crashes Wednesday morning during severe storm conditions from Idalia, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said earlier. Gaskins noted both deaths were weather-related. It’s unclear whether DeSantis was referring to one of these crashes. CNN has reached out to the agencies for clarification.

Another death was reported in Georgia’s Lowndes County, where a man died after a tree fell on him as he cut a tree on a highway, sheriff Ashley Paulk told CNN.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for South Santee River northward to the North Carolina-Virginia border, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, as of 5 a.m. ET Thursday. A storm surge watch is in effect for Beaufort Inlet to Ocracoke Inlet, North Carolina, as well as the Neuse and Pamlico rivers.

Here are other developments from the storm as of early Thursday:

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Over the Carolinas: Tropical Storm Idalia’s center was about 20 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as of 2 a.m. ET Thursday. The storm is forecast to move just offshore of North Carolina’s coast later Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.

North Carolina flooding: Between 2 and 5 inches of rain fell across portions of the southeastern parts of the state, including the Wilmington area, where a flash flood warning was in effect early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties were under the warning.

Flood rescues: First responders rescued about 150 residents from flooded neighborhoods in Florida’s hard-hit Pasco County, north of Tampa, the county fire rescue chief said. Some areas saw water surges between 3 and 5 feet.

Thousands of homes damaged: Between 4,000 and 6,000 homes were inundated with water in Florida’s Pasco County alone, according to county administrator Mike Carballa.

Historic water levels: South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor saw water its waters spike to higher than 9 feet, making it the fifth highest level ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service said. Cedar Key, East Bay Tampa, Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg in Florida also experienced record storm surges.

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Thousands in the dark: As of early Thursday, about 143,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida. Another 126,000 outages were in Georgia, about 34,000 were reported in South Carolina, and about 18,000 were in North Carolina, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us.

Residents urged to stay indoors: Florida officials are urging residents to avoid being outdoors as cleanup and search efforts remain underway. Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett cited the dangers of downed trees and power lines.

Boil water advisory: Some areas in DeSoto, Dixie, Leon, Levy, Marion and Taylor counties in Florida are under boil water notices issued by the state’s health department.

Some school districts to reopen: At least 30 of 52 school districts that closed ahead of the storm will be open again Thursday, DeSantis said. Eight districts are set to reopen Friday.

Idalia is expected to maintain its tropical storm status as it moves off the East Coast on Thursday morning. Still, the threat of storm surge persists, and tropical storm warnings remain primarily across southeastern North Carolina.

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“The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” the hurricane center said in its 2 a.m. update Thursday.

Storm surge occurs when powerful winds from a storm push water on to the land, causing water levels to rise.

Rainfall over eastern South Carolina through eastern North Carolina could range between a total of 4 to 8 inches, with some places seeing up to 10 inches.

“These rainfall amounts will continue to lead to areas of flash, urban, and moderate river flooding, with considerable impacts,” the hurricane center explained.

Additionally, isolated tornadoes are possible across North Carolina’s coastal areas.

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Meanwhile, central Florida could see an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain Thursday.

On Wednesday, storm surge whipped up by Idalia set records for highest water level in several locations in Florida.

In Cedar Key, an island town about 80 miles north of Tampa, storm surge reached 8.9 feet, surpassing the 5.99 feet record set in 2016 from Hurricane Hermine.

Storm surge in Tampa’s East Bay was 5.7 feet Wednesday, roughly 2 feet higher than record seen in 2020 from Tropical Storm Eta.

And in Clearwater Beach, storm surge from Idalia reached 5.2 feet, eclipsing the 4.02 feet from the 1993 “Storm of the Century” that also snowed in much of the East Coast.

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Florida

Florida spring breakers hold illegal beach boxing match — complete with cryptocurrency betting: wild video

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Florida spring breakers hold illegal beach boxing match — complete with cryptocurrency betting: wild video


Now it’s the Sun-shiner State.

Spring breakers in Fort Lauderdale were caught on video holding an impromptu beach prize fight — complete with betting using cryptocurrency — while locals looked on aghast.

A large crowd of rowdy party animals could be seen pushing and shoving in a chaotic circle around two young men who throw haymakers on the beautiful beaches of Fort Lauderdale to the delight of the crowd.

Hundreds of spring breakers formed an impromptu boxing ring where two revelers duked it out to the delight of the crowd. NBC 6

Local resident Joshua Pettus recorded the worrying sight while on a walk in his neighborhood, realizing something strange was going on after overhearing one spring breaker taking bets, he told NBC Miami.

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“I started hearing somebody taking bets and they were doing it with crypto,” Pettus told the outlet.

“Boxing gloves came out, the ring got bigger, and I knew the fight was going to start,” he said.

Pettus’ video shows two shirtless young men throwing devastating hooks at each other as a crowd of over 100 people cheered on and recorded with their phones.

Joshua Pettus said he overheard one person taking bets in crypto-cash before the fight. NBC 6

“Why aren’t they playing football? Something that is not going to get people injured,” Pettus wondered to the outlet.

Soon after the fisticuffs started flying, police arrived and broke up the beachy bout, according to NBC Miami.

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“Fort Lauderdale Police witnessed and broke up two incidents on the beach and the crowd complied both times without further issues,” the city of Fort Lauderdale said in a statement.

“There have been no reported confirmed cases of betting. This type of behavior will not be tolerated,” the statement said.

The unofficially organized fight was broken up by police officers before anyone could get hurt. NBC 6

The city reminded its influx of seasonal tourists that alcohol, live music, and coolers are not permitted at high-traffic beach areas.

Pettus said that while he welcomes the business that the spring breakers bring, he believes they should be maintaining a higher level of civility.

“We want your business. We want you to come and have fun and enjoy our beautiful place down here in sunny south Florida,” he said, adding, “But do it responsibly — without the violence.”

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Divers rescue ‘ginormous,’ severely-injured loggerhead turtle off Florida Keys

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Divers rescue ‘ginormous,’ severely-injured loggerhead turtle off Florida Keys


MARATHON, Fla. – An “ancient,” 322-pound loggerhead turtle is getting a new lease on life thanks to an alert scuba diver who found it severely injured off the Florida Keys, according to the Turtle Hospital.

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The “ginormous” turtle, now nicknamed “Lenny,” is estimated to be more than 60 years old and was found off the coast of Islamorada on Friday with “severe injuries to its front flipper and its head” because of a predator attack, staff said.

Diver Mike Papish worked with the Turtle Hospital and Sundance Water Sports “to organize a team to rescue the injured turtle after spotting him in distress on an earlier dive,” a Turtle Hospital news release states.

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Turtle Hospital staff took Lenny via “turtle ambulance to its facility in Marathon for treatment.

“A full recovery is hoped for so the reproductive sea turtle can be returned to the wild just in time for mating season,” the news release states.

Copyright 2025 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.



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Florida Lottery Mega Millions, Cash4Life results for March 14, 2025

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Florida Lottery Mega Millions, Cash4Life results for March 14, 2025


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The Florida Lottery offers several draw games for those hoping to win one of the available jackpots. Here’s a look at the winning numbers for games played on Friday, March 14, 2025

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Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 14 drawing

03-17-39-42-70, Mega Ball: 01, Megaplier: 3

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from March 14 drawing

05-33-44-52-59, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from March 14 drawing

Midday: 16-24-28-30-32

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Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 14 drawing

Morning: 14

Matinee: 12

Afternoon: 11

Evening: 06

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Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 2 numbers from March 14 drawing

Midday: 2-1, FB: 6

Evening: 3-9, FB: 1

Check Pick 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 14 drawing

Midday: 7-8-9, FB: 6

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Evening: 7-1-1, FB: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 14 drawing

Midday: 7-1-3-5, FB: 6

Evening: 9-0-5-6, FB: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 14 drawing

Midday: 3-5-4-2-1, FB: 6

Evening: 8-7-8-9-6, FB: 1

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Where can you buy Florida Lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at any authorized retailer throughout Florida, including gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. To find a retailer near you, go to Find Florida Lottery Retailers.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $599 or less: Claim at any authorized Florida Lottery retailer or Florida Lottery district office.
  • Prizes for $600 to $1 million: Must be claimed in person at any Florida Lottery district office for games that do not offer an annual payment option.
  • Prizes greater than $1 million and all prizes with an annual payment option: Must be claimed at Florida Lottery headquarters, except Mega Millions and Powerball prizes, which can be claimed at any Florida Lottery district office.

You also can claim your winnings by mail if the prize is $250,000 or less. Mail your ticket to the Florida Lottery with the required documentation.

Florida law requires public disclosure of winners

If you’re a winner, Florida law mandates the following information is public record:

  • Full name
  • City of residence
  • Game won
  • Date won
  • Amount won
  • Name and location of the retailer where the winning ticket was purchased.

When are the Florida Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
  • Florida Lotto: 11:15 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Jackpot Triple Play: 11:15 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
  • Cash4Life: 9 p.m. daily.
  • Fantasy 5: Daily at 1:05 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
  • Cash Pop: Daily at 8:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m.
  • Pick 2, 3, 4, 5: Daily at 1:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Florida digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.



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