Hurricane Idalia could be the strongest storm to hit the Florida bend for a century and hit Category 3 strength with gusts up to 150 mph
Hurricane Idalia could be the strongest storm to hit the Florida Bight in a century, and predictions say it could become a Category 3 storm with winds of 150 mph and a storm surge of 12 feet.
The large storm is currently raging about 80 miles off the western tip of Cuba and is hurtling north toward Florida with winds now reaching 75 miles per hour. At 8 p.m. Monday, the National Hurricane Center said Idalia was close to hurricane status.
The hurricane is expected to develop into a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 200 km/h and gusts of up to 240 km/h before making landfall, while also producing a storm surge of up to 3.5 meters.
The storm’s increasing intensity and its northerly direction alerted about 14 million Florida residents to hurricane and tropical storms along the Gulf of Mexico.
Authorities warned that the greatest danger to human life posed by the storm would come from the rising walls of seawater being driven inland by high winds, flooding low-lying coastal areas.
“Residents of these areas should follow the advice of local officials.”
No hurricane has ever made landfall in the Big Bend region stronger than Category 3 ABC news.
If Idalia makes landfall, it will be the region’s first since Gladys in 1968, the outlet reported.
“Get ready for this,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Monday afternoon, adding that he had spoken with US President Joe Biden and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Deanne Criswell.
‘Do what you have to do. You still have time today. You have most of tomorrow,” he said, urging Florida residents to prepare for the potentially dangerous conditions.
Florida residents are already preparing for the storm by filling sandbags for themselves and fellow residents.
Meanwhile, supermarkets are being raided by people rushing to get last-minute groceries as the storm approaches.
Idalia was predicted to reach hurricane-force winds late Monday and reach a Category 3 strength by the time it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
Hurricane center forecasts showed that the center of Idalia is on track to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, where the state’s Gulf Coast transitions into the peninsular region.
On Tuesday, Florida’s Gulf Coast could experience torrential rains of 4 to 8 inches, which could cause widespread flooding.
Local supermarkets are battling empty shelves as locals rush to buy groceries in Tampa on August 28
The National Hurricane Center warned on Saturday that the system could bring dangerous storm surge, heavy rain and high winds to Florida’s Gulf Coast and Panhandle by midweek.
Spectacular satellite images show a storm crackling with light as it moves toward Florida’s west coast.
Along with the heavy rain, winds of more than 110 miles per hour could result in a life-threatening storm surge, the hurricane center warned.
School districts across the region have canceled classes as of Monday afternoon. Tampa International Airport planned to suspend commercial operations from 12:01 a.m. Tuesday.
DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 46 Florida counties, with about 5,500 National Guard troops mobilized and thousands of electrical workers ready to help restore power quickly after the storm passed.
A Home Depot employee fills a cart with crates of water as he carries them to the front door as customers prepare for Tropical Storm Idalia in Ocala, Florida
Images show the devastating deadly Hurricane Ian that wreaked havoc in Florida last September
Forecast models don’t show the center of the storm approaching the areas of southwestern Florida where deadly Hurricane Ian struck last year.
The devastating Category 5 storm left a trail of destruction across Florida, reducing homes to mere rubble.
So far, the US East Coast has been spared from cyclones this year.
But in the west, Tropical Storm Hillary caused widespread flooding, mudslides and road closures in Mexico, California, Nevada and points north earlier this month.
The national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said the 2023 hurricane season would be much busier than initially predicted, in part due to extremely warm ocean temperatures. The season runs through November 30, with August and September usually being the peak.