Hurricane Idalia makes landfall as storm surge may reach 16 feet: ‘Chances of surviving that are not great’
Hurricane Idalia has made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast as a devastating Category 3 storm.
Idalia struck the continental United States around 7.45am on Wednesday, after spending days gathering strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm touched down near the unincorporated community of Keaton Beach, Florida, the National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed.
‘Destructive life-threatening winds will occur where the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Big Bend region of Florida,’ the National Hurricane Center said.
They also warned of catastrophic storm surges and destructive waves along the coast, with ocean water flooding up to 16 feet above the ground level.
‘If you end up with a storm surge that even approaches 16 feet, the chances of surviving that are not great,’ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said. ‘You would need to be in a three-story building because it is going to rise very, very high.’
Idalia is travelling slowly northward, next threatening southern Georgia with heavy rains and destructive winds.
On the Saffir-Simpson Scale, Category 3 hurricane can sustain wind speeds of 111-129 miles per hour.
Overnight, Idalia continued to gain strength, briefly becoming a Category 4 storm before being downgraded again around 7.00am.
The storm directly hit the Big Bend region, a portion of the Gulf Coast where storms usually don’t come aground.
‘Looking back through recorded history, NO major hurricanes have ever moved through the Apalachee Bay,’ the National Weather Service station in Tallahassee said yesterday. ‘When you try to compare this storm to others, DON’T. No one has seen this.’
Evacuation orders were handed down in 22 counties in the region, including for the entire population of Cedar Key, an island off the coast of Levy County.
‘One word: Leave,’ Cedar Key Commissioner Sue Colson told residents on Tuesday. ‘It’s not something to discuss.’
‘We are being told that the tide will continue to come in till noon,’ Cedar Key Fire Rescue said in an update in the middle of the storm. ‘Most of the streets around the downtown area are underwater. We cannot get out at this time to see just how bad things are. Please do not come to Cedar Key.’
Later on Wednesday morning, they gave a dire warning to the few people who staid on the island: ‘We have propane tanks blowing off all over the island. Do not drive do, not come out. We cannot get to them at this time.’
Photos and videos from the area directly hit show downed power lines, flooded streets, and homes submerged in water.
Over 200,000 customers lost power in Florida, primarily in the Big Bend region.
This is a breaking story, check back for updates…