Live Florida report catches exact moment city loses power Idalia

An update on Idalia by a local Florida news affiliate had surprising timing after the power went out during a live broadcast of the storm.

Florida State Capitol reporter Forrest Saunders was on the scene in Chiefland, Florida Wednesday morning for WTXL to provide updates on the then-Category 3 storm as it began making landfall. While describing growing devastation caused by the hurricane, the lights surrounding him flickered off, leaving him in near total darkness.

"We just lost power!" Saunders exclaimed. "Now, you just saw the power go out. If you can’t see me, I apologize, but that just happened. In fact, I’m seeing some alerts go off with other parts of the county. It looks like we still have traffic lights, but we definitely lost power in this block of Chiefland." 

Reporter Forrest Saunders was on the scene when Chiefland, Florida lost power. (ABC 27/WTXL)

He continued, "And that again is because the wind is so intense. We’re obviously going to be as safe as we can out here. I think for now, I’m going to send it back to you, and we’re going to try and get some kind of light established so you can see us in our later live-ins."

FOX WEATHER REPORTER CAUGHT IN STRONG FLOOD WATER DODGES PALM TREE DEBRIS 

The clip was shared by WTXL Meteorologist Elizabeth Copeland.

"One of the best timed live shots I've seen, #HurricaneIdalia #Idalia #poweroutage This is our Capital reporter covering storm conditions in Chiefland," Copeland remarked on her account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Saunders later joked, "I prefer a political tempest."

In a comment to Fox News Digital, Saunders remarked, "It was my first hurricane, and I found the experience illuminating."

View of damage in a property after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia, in Mayo, Florida, U.S., August 30, 2023.  (REUTERS/Marco Bello)

Before downgrading from a hurricane to a tropical storm, Idalia produced surges that reached several feet in some areas and brought damaging winds that howled up to 130 miles per hour at one point, according to the National Hurricane Center. It also caused flooding that completely encompassed Floridian roadways when it passed the Apalachee Bay and made landfall over Florida's Big Bend region, where the peninsula merges into the Panhandle.

HURRICANE IDALIA MAKES LANDFALL OVER FLORIDA’S BIG BEND AS A CATEGORY 3, HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER 

The storm impacted Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Dowling Park, Lake City, Cedar Key, Chiefland, Newberry, Cross City, Apalachicola and Perry, among other regions in Florida.

Heavy rain fall at the Clearwater Harbor Marina in Clearwater, Florida, on August 30, 2023, after Hurricane Idalia made landfall.  (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)

The carnage wasn't just limited to Florida, as portions of Georgia and South Carolina also reported damage from Idalia.

For more Culture, Media, Education, Opinion, and channel coverage, visit foxnews.com/media.

Fox News' Lawrence Richard and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @lmkornick.