Closing Summary
It is now 6pm ET. Here is a wrap-up of the day’s key events across the southeastern states that have been hit by Hurricane Idalia:
Over 1,500 federal personnel, 1.3 million meals and 1.6 million liters of water have been made available to support southeastern statres impacted by Hurricane Idalia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Thursday. FEMA has also mobilized four Incident Management Assistance Teams, over 540 Urban Search and Rescue members and three Disaster Survivor Assistance Strike Teams to support states in Hurricane Idalia’s path, the agency added.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has announced that following 24 hours after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, utility linemen have already restored power to 420,000 homes in the state. DeSantis said that there were 40 rescues made, including 29 made by the National Guard and noted that wellness checks are also underway, given damage that took place during the storm.
Hurricane Idalia could become the US’s costliest climate disaster of this year, as analysts estimate that the category 3 storm has already amassed $9.36bn in preliminary costs.
President Joe Biden has approved an expedited major disaster declaration for Florida, the White House said on Thursday. The approval makes federal funding available to the survivors and communities of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor counties.
Georgia has also experienced flooding and destruction from Hurricane Idalia, with the tropical storm crossing through the state on its way eastward. The storm brought winds of 90 miles per hour to Georgia on Wednesday, NPR reported, before slowing down as it crossed into the Carolinas.
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in South Carolina as Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring intense flash flooding to the region, according to a White House statement. The emergency order provides federal assistance to the state for any emergency situations arising from the hurricane, including assistance from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.
That’s it from me, Maya Yang, as we wrap up the blog for today. Thank you for following along.
Climate crisis advocacy organizations criticize Big Oil and Ron DeSantis amid Hurricane Idalia
Climate crisis advocacy organizations are speaking out against major oil corporations following Hurricane Idalia’s devastating destruction.
“As we Floridians face the devastation of yet another massive hurricane, we know exactly who is responsible for making these countless disasters exponentially worse: the Big Oil CEOs profiting off the climate crisis and their political allies,” said Yoca Arditi-Rocha, executive director of the CLEO Institute in Florida.”
“Big Oil CEOs and politicians like Ron Desantis must be held accountable for knowingly fuelling the climate crisis that heats our oceans and strengthens deadly storms — then leading the fight to strip away resources our state could use to respond,” she added.
John Paul Mejia, a Miami native and national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement echoed similar sentiments, saying:
“By turning down millions of dollars in climate investments while people suffer, Governor DeSantis has shown he’s more willing to shield Big Oil Executives from accountability than serve the people of Florida. My generation won’t forget this and we will do anything in our power to defeat politicians like him.”
Similarly, Jamie Henn of Fossil Free Media said:
“Big Oil executives are sitting in cushy corner offices making massive profits while people in Florida, Hawaii and all over the world are losing their homes, businesses, and lives. Finally holding this industry accountable for the damage they’re causing has become a major priority for the global climate movement.”
As Floridians begin recovery and repair efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia, the Guardian’s Richard Luscombe reports from Miami:
Residents across the south-eastern US were beginning the clean-up from Hurricane Idalia on Thursday as Joe Biden signed a major disaster declaration for Florida and the weakened but still powerful tropical storm dumped torrents of rain in North Carolina and Virginia.
The worst of the devastation was evident along Florida’s Gulf coast, where Idalia tore ashore on Wednesday as a category 3 hurricane with gusts of 160mph and sent a surge of seawater of up to 16ft far inland through vulnerable low-lying communities.
Roofs were torn from some buildings, houses were submerged by water from the Gulf of Mexico and flash flooding, and thousands of downed trees and power lines littered a trail from Florida’s west coast to Wilmington, North Carolina.
Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, toured some of the worst-hit areas on Thursday afternoon with Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and said he was “heartbroken” at what he saw.
He said there was one confirmed fatality in a storm-related traffic accident.
For the full story, click here:
Over 1,500 federal personnel made available in post-Idalia recovery efforts
Over 1,500 federal personnel, 1.3 million meals and 1.6 million liters of water have been made available to support southeastern statres impacted by Hurricane Idalia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on Thursday.
FEMA has also mobilized four Incident Management Assistance Teams, over 540 Urban Search and Rescue members and three Disaster Survivor Assistance Strike Teams to support states in Hurricane Idalia’s path, the agency added.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has announced that following 24 hours after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, utility linemen have already restored power to 420,000 homes in the state.
Less than 24 hours after landfall, our utility linemen have already restored power to 420,000 homes that lost power.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 31, 2023
We are working with @DukeEnergy & @insideFPL to surge resources into the hardest hit areas to get the 140,000 homes that remain without power back up and running.
Here are some images coming through the newswires of Hurricane Idalia’s aftermath:
Aerial view of debris surrounding the house of Austin Daniel Ellison's grandfather, whose shrimp business was destroyed by Hurricane Idalia, partially hanging over the water, in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 31, 2023. Photograph: Julio Cesar Chavez/Reuters
epa10831811 A person walks around the destroyed First Baptist Church Horseshoe after Hurricane Idalia made landfall, in the town of Horseshoe Beach, Florida, USA, 31 August 2023. Photograph: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA
Hurricane Idalia could become the US’s costliest climate disaster of this year, as analysts estimate that the category 3 storm has already amassed $9.36bn in preliminary costs.
The Guardian’s Richard Luscombe reports from Miami:
The category 3 storm that barreled into Florida’s west coast from the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, then carved a path of destruction and flooding through Georgia and the Carolinas, has a preliminary price tag between $9.36bn, based on early estimates, from risk analysts at UBS, and $18bn-$20bn calculated by AccuWeather.
It follows 15 previous “individual weather and climate disasters” recorded in the US already this year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) as unprecedented heat, wildfires, storms and floods escalate.
Cumulatively, Noaa said that by the end of July, which Nasa said was Earth’s hottest month on record, the total estimated cost of the damage caused by the disasters was $39.7bn. That figure does not include the estimated $5.5bn cost to rebuild the town of Lahaina following devastating wildfires that razed the Hawaiian island of Maui this month.
For more details, click here:
Biden approves expedited major disaster declaration for Florida
President Joe Biden has approved an expedited major disaster declaration for Florida, the White House said on Thursday.
The approval makes federal funding available to the survivors and communities of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee and Taylor counties.
Hurricane Idalia Update:
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 31, 2023
President Biden approved an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for Florida.
This makes federal funding available to the survivors and communities of Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor counties.
Updated
Here is drone footage depicting the scale of destruction in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Florida:
“We’re just getting the initial assessments…that the greatest concern right now is flooding and the impact on people’s homes and businesses of that flooding,” Sherwood-Randall said.
“It currently doesn’t look from aerial surveillance as if there has been widespread destruction of many buildings. Some homes have been harmed, some businesses have been harmed, but principally it looks like it’s about flooding in areas that are low-lying, where there was storm surge in the Big Bend in Florida and so that that will likely be the area in which we have to invest the most in recovery,” she added.
“We have submitted to Congress a supplemental request that would replenish the Disaster Relief Fund because that fund has been depleted. We have requested $12 billion because we know that every American expects FEMA to be there if they’re experiencing a disaster,” Sherwood-Randall said.
The US Army Corps of Engineers was pre-positioned before the storm to support power restoration and brought in over 30 large generators that are pre-staged if needed to support critical infrastructure such as hospitals and water treatment plants, US Homeland Security advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall said in a White House press briefing on Thursday.
“We will be with the citizens of these impacted states as long as it takes,” Sherwood-Randall added.
Updated
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is delivering a press conference to reporters on the impact of Hurricane Idalia:
Updated
President Biden also just gave an update in a press conference addressing Idalia, held at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters:
“We’re going to need a whole hell of a lot more money,” Biden said in reference to political pushback against FEMA’s need for more relief funds after recent natural disasters like Idalia in the US south and fires on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
Biden announced he will be traveling to Florida on Saturday morning.
Updated
Governor DeSantis is holding a press conference to give an update on the state of things in Florida:
The Center for Disease Control issued a warning about the dangers of floodwater.
“Floodwaters contain many things that may harm health. We don’t know exactly what is in floodwater at any given point in time.”
The CDC cautions that floodwaters can contain downed power lines, human or livestock waste, coal ash waste with carcinogenic compounds (arsenic, chromium, mercury, and other germs), physical debris like lumber, vehicle parts, as well as stray animals like rodents and snakes.
It is recommended to stay out of floodwater if possible. In the event contact was made with floodwater, “wash the area with soap and clean water as soon as possible. If you don’t have soap or water, use alcohol-based wipes or sanitizer.”
Hurricane #Idalia has caused flooding in the Southeast. Floodwater can be dangerous and put you at risk of injuries or diseases. Stay out of floodwater, and don’t drive through flooded areas.
— CDC Environment (@CDCEnvironment) August 31, 2023
Visit https://t.co/PHVjqLgvEu for more information about staying safe from floodwater. pic.twitter.com/qnULpRfXQL
Updated
Idalia continues to drench North Carolina, and it may not be letting up any time soon.
The Weather Channel senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman says: “There could be more high tide flooding this evening and tomorrow morning in parts of Virginia and in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. That’s due to the combination of high tides and north-east winds pushing water that way.”
Updated
Like Georgia and the Carolinas, parts of Florida are also suffering under sweltering conditions as the state experiences widespread power outages.
More than 90% of customers in Taylor, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Suwannee and Lafayette counties, including 140,000 homes and businesses, are still without power, according to powerOutage.us.
Power restorations are under way, but more outages may be reported, DeSantis announced.
Updated
Cleanup is happening in several counties across Georgia following destruction after Hurricane Idalia.
Here’s a video from Weather Nation showing debris after Hurricane Idalia in Coffee County, Georgia:
Cleanup has begun in Coffee County, GA. An area affected by Hurricane #Idalia Many are without power as crews work tirelessly to rebuild their communities. #gawx pic.twitter.com/PXCzpXX29z
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) August 31, 2023
Here’s more on Hurricane Idalia’s destruction in Florida from the Guardian’s Michael Sainato.
For Evelyn and Thomas Rhodes, the sign they had to flee their home was when a bed started to float off the floor.
Ashley Nicole Nguyen of Pasco county, Florida has now started a GoFundMe to try to support the Rhodeses – her grandmother and uncle – who escaped the rising waters from Hurricane Idalia unharmed but have lost many of their possessions.
“[They] were asleep when the storm came through around 5am. Then [Thomas] noticed that his bed started to float,” said Nguyen.
The couple were taken by the fire department to their nearest friend’s house with their small dog.
“But everything is completely destroyed, all of [Nicole’s] belongings, televisions, furniture, as well as everything else on that street,” said Nguyen. She said her uncle’s workplace, a nearby restaurant, was completely destroyed by flooding.
Read the full article here.
Georgia has also experienced flooding and destruction from Hurricane Idalia, with the tropical storm crossing through the state on its way eastward.
The storm brought winds of 90 miles per hour to Georgia on Wednesday, NPR reported, before slowing down as it crossed into the Carolinas.
Nearly 100,000 customers are still without power in Georgia as of Thursday morning, according to data from poweroutage.us.
Joe Biden signed a major disaster declaration for Florida following Hurricane Idalia.
The declaration provides the state with federal resources to support clean up, rescue, and more in response to the tropical storm.
Here is the statement from the White House on the declaration:
This morning, President Biden called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to convey that he has signed a Major Disaster Declaration and ordered all available federal resources to help with the continued response to Tropical Storm Idalia.
The President reiterated that the people of Florida have his full support as they recover from the storm.
Updated
Here’s more on the DeSantis updates from the Guardian’s Richard Luscombe in Miami.
Dozens of rescue missions have been “successfully completed” in Florida, the state’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis said at a morning press conference.
“There’s still reports rolling in, but as of last night there were approximately 40 successful rescues made, including 29 by the Florida National Guard,” he told reporters in Tallahassee.
“Our fish and wildlife officers assisted with a medical evacuation yesterday, and they are conducting high-water and welfare checks.
“These efforts are continuing and they will continue until there is no longer a need.”
DeSantis also praised the response of authorities in dealing with Idalia and its aftermath.
“Officials in those really hard-hit counties I think did a good job.” he said.
“Citizens responded very appropriately, and then to be here where you have a storm hitting close to 130mph, just under category 4, and not as of now have any reported fatalities, it’s probably something that most people would not have bet on four or five days ago.”
Unofficially, three deaths are being linked to the storm, two motorists in Florida, and a man trying to clear a felled tree in Georgia.
DeSantis will tour the worst-affected areas today with Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
“I’m here to see first-hand the impacts that the communities have had so we can determine what level of assistance, and what other programs we’ll need to bring in to help support those people that were in the storm’s path, and help them on the road to recovery,” Criswell told the press conference.
“We are going to make sure that we always have the resources here from the federal family to support the current efforts [and] ongoing recovery efforts that may be needed in these communities.”
Florida governor Ron DeSantis gave an update Thursday morning about Hurricane Idalia, noting that there has been “significant damage” in Florida’s Big Bend community.
DeSantis said that there were 40 rescues made, including 29 made by the National Guard.
DeSantis noted that wellness checks are also underway, given damage that took place during the storm.
DeSantis added that local agencies are also working on debris removal, including addressing fallen trees on Florida’s roadways.
“There’s a massive amount of debris,” said DeSantis on hurricane debris he witnessed, noting that trees in the area have largely been knocked down.
“I saw roofs torn off of businesses. We saw other types of hurricane damage.”
Here are images displaying some of the damage and destruction coming out of Florida from Hurricane Idalia.
A view of the damage next to the welcome sign after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia, in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 31, 2023. Photograph: Julio Cesar Chavez/Reuters
View of a damaged property after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 31, 2023. Photograph: Julio Cesar Chavez/Reuters
A general view shows damage caused by Hurricane Idalia in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, U.S., August 31, 2023. Photograph: Julio Cesar Chavez/Reuters
Biden approved South Carolina's emergency declaration
Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in South Carolina as Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring intense flash flooding to the region, according to a White House statement.
The emergency order provides federal assistance to the state for any emergency situations arising from the hurricane, including assistance from Fema and the Department of Homeland Security, NBC reported.
Updated
Hurricane Idalia will likely move offshore on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The tropical storm is expected to move east of North Carolina on Thursday afternoon, but flooding in the state is still possible.
Idalia is currently bringing winds of 35 to 40 miles per hour to the state’s eastern Sandhills and Coastal Plain region, though winds are expected to decrease by the afternoon and evening.
Tropical Storm Idalia will move east this afternoon, offshore of North Carolina. Isolated flash flooding will be possible over the eastern Sandhills and Coastal Plain, as well as gusty winds of 35-40 mph over the Sandhills this morning. #NCwx pic.twitter.com/DjNuSFrnG5
— NWS Raleigh (@NWSRaleigh) August 31, 2023
Floridians assess Hurricane Idalia damage as storm hits the Carolinas
Floridians are assessing damage caused by Hurricane Idalia as the deadly storm rolls through the Carolinas.
The category 3 storm caused extensive damage along the state’s coast, flooding streets, homes and vehicles.
Power lines in Florida and Georgia were also impacted by the storm, with nearly 500,000 customers losing power on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Idalia brought intense flooding to the Carolinas and is expected to bring heavy rain to parts of North Carolina on Thursday, forecasters predicted. The National Hurricane Center predicted that portions of eastern North Carolina could experience “heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding”, according to an 8am ET (12pm GMT) update.
More than 50,000 customers in the Carolinas are without power, as of 8.15am ET (12.15pm GMT).
