Idalia Hurricane : expected to turn out to be ‘incredibly hazardous’ Classification 4 preceding tempest floods hit Florida Bay Coast – as it worked out
Hurricane Idalia is set to become an “extremely dangerous Category 4 intensity at landfall” the National Hurricane Center has said in its 11pm EDT update.
The storm, now a Category 2, was packing sustained winds of 110mph – 1mph away from being classified a Category 3 storm, the center said.
What to know about Idalia
Idalia’s forecast is unsettling: a purported fast escalation as it tracks through the Bay of Mexico, taking advantage of probably the hottest waters on earth in front of making landfall in Florida this week.
If it does so, it would join a growing list of devastating storms like Hurricane Ian — which leveled coastal Florida and left more than 100 dead — to rapidly intensify before landfall in recent years. Idalia posed a “notable risk” of this phenomenon, the National Hurricane Center warned Monday, as it travels through the Gulf of Mexico.
This summer, water temperatures in some parts of southern Florida reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and overall, Gulf temperatures have been record-high, with more than enough heat to support rapid strengthening.
When the storm’s core approaches the Big Bend, there may also be “destructive life-threatening winds,” the report warned. Additionally, it’s anticipated that strong winds may move inland and affect areas of northern Florida and southern Georgia.
“Storm surge of this magnitude is not something we’ve ever seen in this part of Florida in any of our lifetimes,” DeSantis said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. “So, please, please take the appropriate precautions.”
“Stay cautious out there – there (have) been reports of hydroplaning incidents on flooded roads,” the Charlotte County Emergency Management warned in a Facebook post. “Brace yourself. More roads might end up flooded.”
“Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle and can vary greatly over short distances,” the NHC said.
The NHC advised locals to be “prepared for long-duration power outages” in certain places.
It went on to say that “locally considerable impacts” were anticipated in the Big Bend, middle Georgia, and South Carolina through eastern North Carolina on Thursday due to flash, urban, and moderate river flooding.
