Hurricane Idalia sweeps Florida and heads north

On Wednesday morning, Hurricane Idalia struck the northwestern part of Florida with a powerful force, classified as a Category 3 hurricane of "extreme danger." 

It brought along fierce winds and heavy rainfall, prompting authorities to warn of potentially catastrophic consequences for certain areas in the southern US state.

State authorities mentioned that the hurricane and its impact, including rising ocean water levels, were an unusual occurrence for the region. Evacuation operations were swiftly initiated.

The US National Hurricane Center reported that Hurricane Idalia, which had earlier hit western Cuba, arrived on land with winds reaching speeds of 215 km/h (133 mph) around 7:45 AM (11:45 AM GMT) in the Big Bend area of Florida.

The center emphasized that the storm made landfall near the community of Keaton Beach, considering it "an extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane," and cautioned about "the potential for water to rise as high as five meters in some coastal areas."

Although the hurricane weakened as it moved inland towards Georgia, becoming a Category 1 hurricane, authorities warned of its repercussions and the risks of rising tides.

In contrast to most other coastal areas in the state, there are no barrier islands off Big Bend along the Gulf of Mexico coast, which could act as buffers.

The National Hurricane Center noted that water levels had risen over six feet above normal in Cedar Key, a string of islands in the Gulf, and warned that water along the coast was "rising rapidly."

Chili Bovin, who runs a community hostel and responded to the evacuation order, told CNN, "Everything's floating. The water covered everything. I've seen pictures of the oncoming tide, and water's everywhere."

In the small coastal town of Steinhatchee, located about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from where the hurricane made landfall, streets appeared deserted, and the main road was entirely submerged.

Power was cut off to over 278,000 homes in Florida and 52,000 in Georgia as of 11:30 AM, according to the "PowerOutage" tracking website.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to issue a statement later regarding the hurricane. The White House stated that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had prepositioned personnel and resources for emergency response.

Governor Ron DeSantis, who anticipated significant debris from the hurricane, urged residents in the evacuation order areas across 23 counties along the Florida Gulf Coast to leave and head to shelters or designated hotels for accommodation.

DeSantis earlier mentioned that the hurricane was on track to be the strongest to hit the region in over a century.

Meteorological experts also pointed to the phenomenon of the "king tide," which could lead to higher than usual tides as Hurricane Ida approaches the coast.

In anticipation of Idalia's arrival, Tampa International Airport and other regional airports were closed. Air travel along the US East Coast was affected as another hurricane, Franklin, moved across the Atlantic Ocean.

Several Florida ports were closed to ship traffic from Tuesday evening, according to the US Coast Guard.



AFP