States count cost of Hurricane Idalia as experts say it could have been far worse

Category 4 storm took last-minute turn away from Florida state capital and weakened slightly just before landfall

A clearer picture was beginning to emerge on Friday of devastation caused by Hurricane Idalia across five states, as analysts suggested the effects could have been far worse.

The center of the cyclone that struck Florida’s Gulf coast as a category 4 hurricane early on Wednesday with 160mph gusts took a last-minute turn away from the state capital, Tallahassee, and into sparsely populated coastal communities in the Big Bend region.

Associated Press contributed reporting