We’re pausing our coverage now but you can read our main report here, and the main updates so far below:
Hurricane Idalia is forecast to reach “an extremely dangerous Category 4 intensity” with maximum sustained winds of at least 130 mph (209 kph) before it is predicted to slam into the Big Bend region on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday.
It was packing sustained winds of 110mph at 12am EDT on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center, making it just 1mph shy of a Category 3 storm. In the same update, the NHC said Idalia was about 120 miles (195km) southwest of Cedar Key in Florida and about 175 miles (280km) south of Tallahassee, moving north at 17mph (27kph).
States of emergency have been declared in Florida, North and South Carolina and Georgia. Residents of vulnerable coastal areas in Florida have been ordered to evacuate, with governor Ron DeSantis warning: “You really gotta go now. Now is the time.” In total, 28 of the state’s 67 counties are under evacuation orders.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend, where the state’s northern panhandle curves into the Gulf side of the Florida Peninsula.
Surge warnings have been 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 12 to 16 feet, the hurricane center said.
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 also warned.
A tornado watch has also been issued for parts of Florida, including Tampa and Gainesville, and will remain in place until 6am EDT on Wednesday. The National Weather Service said those areas could also expect “isolated hail up to half inch size possible”.
US president Joe Biden said he and DeSantis were “in constant contact,” adding that he had assured the governor federal disaster assistance would remain in place for as “long as it takes, and we*ll make sure they have everything they need.”
Idalia also caused heavy rains in Cuba on Monday and Tuesday, leaving the tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio underwater. More than 10,000 people were evacuated to shelters or stayed with friends and relatives as up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell. More than half of the province was without electricity.
Updated
The city of Tampa has warned that the storm surge of 4 to 6 feet expected in the area could hit after the hurricane’s core moves past:
#IDALIA UPDATE 🌀
— City of Tampa (@CityofTampa) August 30, 2023
⚠️ Tampa residents should prepare for storm surge to arrive AFTER the eye of the storm moves past our area.
⚠️ We could see 4-6FT of storm surge impacting areas like Bayshore Blvd, Westshore, and Port Tampa between 11AM-5PM Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/uHWZNEVFlk
