Hurricane Idalia - Florida

Hurricane Idalia gained fury on Tuesday as it crawled toward Florida's Gulf Coast, forcing mass evacuations in low-lying areas expected to be swamped when the powerful storm, forecast to reach Category 4 intensity, strikes on Wednesday morning.

Hurricane Idalia plowed into Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday 30 August 2023 with howling winds, torrential rains and pounding surf, then weakened as it turned its fury on southeastern Georgia, where floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes.

Hours after Idalia slammed ashore as a powerful Category 3 hurricane at Keaton Beach in Florida's Big Bend region, packing winds of about 125 mph (201 kph), authorities were still trying to assess the full extent of damage in the hardest-hit areas.

UP TO 15 FEET OF STORM SURGE

Florida's Gulf Coast along with southeastern Georgia and eastern portions of North and South Carolina could face torrential rains of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) through Thursday, with isolated areas seeing as much as 12 inches (30 cm), the hurricane center warned.

Surge warnings were posted for hundreds of miles of shoreline, from Sarasota to the sport fishing haven of Indian Pass at the western end of Apalachicola Bay. In some areas, the surge of water could rise 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m), the NHC said.

"The No. 1 killer in all of these storms is water," Deanne Criswell, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's administrator, said on CNN.

BRUSH WITH CUBA

As Idalia approached Florida, Cubans dealt with the storm aftermath. The storm lingered near the western end of the Caribbean island, causing damage and evacuations. Pinar del Rio, known for cigar production, experienced widespread power outages with 60% of the province affected.

GEORGIA RESCUES

Florida's Gulf Coast, southeastern Georgia and eastern parts of North and South Carolina were forecast to receive 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm) of rain through Thursday, with as much as a foot of rain possible in isolated areas, the National Hurricane Center warned.

By early Wednesday afternoon, Idalia's center had left Florida and moved into Georgia. State officials said they expected the storm to clear Georgia by 8 p.m. EDT.

In Valdosta, Georgia, about 80 miles northeast of Tallahassee, emergency boat crews were carrying out rescues of residents trapped in homes, according to the city's Facebook page.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-expect-when-hurricane-idalia-hits-florida-wednesday-2023-08-29/

https://apnews.com/article/florida-hurricane-idalia-2136985ceea53f5deb600c43aeea1138