Hurricane Idalia Slams Into Florida

Hurricane Idalia slammed into the southeastern U.S. state of Florida Wednesday morning, a powerful Category 3 storm packing 195 kilometer per hour (121 miles per hour) winds and torrential rains that threatened low-lying communities with massive flooding.


The storm, which tracked northward in the Gulf of Mexico overnight along the west coast of the peninsula-shaped state, made landfall in the Big Bend region. That is where the peninsula meets the state’s panhandle region to the west.


Streets in numerous coastal cities were flooded, and 170,000 residents lost power. Forecasters said a large swath of the region could get 10 to 20 centimeters (4 to 8 inches) of rain, and isolated areas up to 30 centimeters (12 inches).


The winds of Idalia, ranked third on the scale of powerful hurricanes, tracked inland to the northeast at a quick pace of nearly 30 kilometers an hour (19 mph). Early Wednesday, it was battering the region around Perry, Florida, southeast of the state capital of Tallahassee.




Hurricane-force winds extended 35 kilometers (22 miles) outward from the center of the storm, the National Hurricane Center said, and tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 280 kilometers (174 miles).


By midday, the storm’s eye is expected to surge into the southern state of Georgia, targeting the city of Valdosta.


“Although Idalia will weaken further now that the center is inland, it is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia and near the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today,” forecasters said early Wednesday. “Idalia is forecast to be a tropical storm while moving near the coasts of northeastern South Carolina and North Carolina [Wednesday night] and on Thursday.”


Areas most directly affected by the storm surge could see inundation 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) above ground level. Forecasters said there would be “large and destructive waves.”


“Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances,” the hurricane center said.


Authorities ordered mandatory evacuations in eight counties in the storm’s path, with people in 14 other counties encouraged to leave.


In preparation for rescue and repair efforts, about 5,500 National Guard troops were activated, and more than 30,000 utility workers stood by ahead of the storm’s arrival.


Some information in this report came from The Associated Press