Hurricane Idalia is making its way across the Gulf of Mexico to the west coast of Florida. The storm has now reached level three out of five and is likely to gain strength over the next few hours.
Hurricane Idalia in the Gulf of Mexico continues to intensify. It is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast later today as the second-highest category cyclone. The hurricane is currently around 175 kilometers southwest of the Cedar Key archipelago in the north of the state, said the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
With wind speeds of 195 kilometers per hour, “Idalia” reached force three on the five-stage hurricane scale. It is expected to become a force four storm with winds of more than 130 miles per hour in the coming hours before making landfall Wednesday morning.
Residents should get to safety
Almost all of Florida’s 21 million residents are affected by severe weather or flood warnings. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is also running for the US presidency, had declared a state of emergency in dozens of districts. Northwest Coast residents are being asked to leave their homes and seek safety.
US President Joe Biden approved the state of emergency in a phone call to DeSantis on Monday. According to the White House, the US Civil Protection Agency (Fema) is preparing for relief efforts and the dispatch of employees.
Hurricane center: “Destructive Winds”
In the Big Bend region south of the capital Tallahassee, “catastrophic storm surges and destructive winds” are to be expected, the hurricane center warned. “The number one killer in all of these storms is water,” FEMA chief Deanne Criswell told CNN.
After making landfall, the storm will continue to move towards the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, according to the NHC. There were also warnings of heavy rain and flooding.
Devastating damage from Hurricane Ian
“Idalia” will be the fourth major hurricane to hit Florida in seven years – after “Irma” in 2017, “Michael” in 2018 and “Ian”, which reached the highest category five last September. Because of the high damage, the insurers have increased the premiums or no longer offer any policies in the state.
Tropical cyclone season lasts from June to November in the Atlantic. According to experts, climate change is increasing the likelihood of strong storms.