Tropical Storm Idalia hurricane update: Florida declares a state of emergency as Category 2 storm with 100mph winds expected to make landfall sparking 11ft storm surges

A state of emergency has been declared in more than 30 Florida counties as Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to storm the coast as a Category 2 hurricane on Wednesday. forecasters warn of storm surges, landslides and massive power outages.

It appears Idalia will develop into a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and then turn northeasterly toward Florida’s west coast, where it could make landfall with winds of up to 100 mph.

Up to 12 feet (3.5 meters) of ocean water could come ashore along a stretch of Florida’s west coast, raising fears of devastating flooding.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Saturday declared a state of emergency for most of the state’s Gulf Coast as the weather system strengthens.

“This thing hasn’t even gotten to Cuba yet, and the water in the Gulf is really, really warm, so that’s going to provide some fuel so this thing can get a little bit more speed,” DeSantis said.

DeSantis’ statement covers the Gulf Coast from the southwestern city of Fort Myers north to Panama City in the Panhandle.

Thirty-three of the state’s 67 counties are covered by the declaration.

The hurricane center says there is a 70 percent chance that the system will become a tropical storm on Monday and a 90 percent chance overall.

Currently, it would be called ‘Idalia’ if no other tropical storm forms before it. Forecast models do not show the center of the storm approaching areas of southwestern Florida where it is deadly Hurricane Ian hit last year.

DeSantis said in a statement that he issued his executive order “out of an abundance of caution to ensure that the Florida Division of Emergency Management can begin deploying resources and that Florida residents have adequate time to prepare their families for a storm next week.

“I encourage Florida residents to have a plan ready and make sure their hurricane supplies are stocked,” he added.

Florida aid officials on Sunday urged residents to keep their vehicles’ gas tanks at least half full in case they need to evacuate.

“This ensures that you can evacuate dozens of miles inland to a safe location should the need arise,” the Florida Division of Emergency Management said on social media.

Florida has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members and “they have 2,400 high-water vehicles at their disposal, as well as 12 aircraft that can be used for rescue and recovery efforts,” said DeSantis, the Republican governor’s nominee for the Republican Party. presidential nomination.

“If you are in the path of this storm, expect power outages,” he added.

“So please prepare for that, especially if this storm hits the Tallahassee region, there’s going to be a lot of trees toppled, the power lines are going to be knocked down — that’s just going to happen, so just be prepared for that and be able to do what you have to do .’

Idalia could approach Florida on Wednesday with winds of up to 100 miles per hour, according to the Hurricane Center’s latest forecasts. That would make it a Category 2 hurricane

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.

The hurricane center says there is a 70 percent chance that the system will become a tropical storm on Monday and a 90 percent chance overall.

Up to 12 feet of ocean water could come ashore along a stretch of Florida’s west coast, raising fears of devastating flooding

Currently, it would be called ‘Idalia’ if no other tropical storm forms before it. Forecast models don’t show the storm’s center approaching the areas of southwestern Florida where deadly Hurricane Ian struck last year

According to forecast models, the storm will curve to the northeast toward Florida, make landfall along the Gulf Coast north of Tampa near the Big Bend area, then cross the state diagonally to resurface in the Atlantic Ocean near southeastern Georgia.

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.

So far, the US East Coast has been spared from cyclones this year. But to the west, Tropical Storm Hilary earlier this month caused widespread flooding, mudslides and road closures in Mexico, California, Nevada and points north.

People watch the waters of Hurricane Hilary as it flows through the Whitewater River at Dune Palms Rd. near the high school in La Quinta

In this aerial image taken on Aug. 21, 2023, vehicles drive through floodwaters after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Hilary

An aerial view of a maintenance vehicle clearing mud near stranded vehicles along a flooded street