Hurricane Idalia pummeled Cedar Key, Florida as it came ashore on Wednesday 30 August.
Idalia grew from a tropical storm into a hurricane early on Tuesday, a day after passing west of Cuba, where it damaged homes and flooded villages.
By Tuesday evening, the storm was churning about 155 miles (250 km) southwest of Tampa as it crept northward.
Idalia is forecast to reach Category 4 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale, qualifying it as a major hurricane, when it reaches Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The Florida Emergency Management Agency has listed 28 counties with evacuation orders.
Sixteen counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for certain residents, especially those living in coastal and flood-prone areas or in mobile homes, recreational vehicles or structurally unsound housing.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has urged residents in vulnerable communities to heed orders to move to higher ground, warning that the storm surge could cause life-threatening floods.
At the White House, U.S. President 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”.
