Hurricane Idalia, which is the latest severe weather phenomenon expected to hit the United States, is expected to make landfall in the U.S. on Wednesday as a category 3 hurricane on Florida's Gulf Coast.
Evacuations and states of emergency have already gone into effect in North Carolina, and Florida, as of Tuesday, as millions are placed under a severe weather watch. The hurricane could also cause tornadoes to break out in Florida as early as Tuesday.
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“This is going to be a major hurricane,” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said at a news conference on Monday.
Where is the hurricane headed:
The hurricane, which is currently a category one hurricane that is strengthening, is located over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico as of Tuesday morning, approximately 320 miles south-southwest of Tampa. It is moving at a speed of 14 mph, with maximum sustained winds as high as 85 mph, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Idalia is expected to make landfall in Florida's Big Bend area, which is where the panhandle meets the peninsula, as early as 7 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, or as late as 11 a.m. Tampa Bay is included in the Big Bend area, and is under evacuation orders.
The storm is also expected to impact 46 counties in Florida, along its Gulf Coast, and evacuation orders have been recommended in 22 counties. Experts have also warned storm surges as high as 11 feet are possible for much of northwestern Florida and into the Panhandle. Storm surges account for nearly half of all hurricane-related fatalities according to the NOAA, and is the reason behind the majority of storm evacuations.
7 AM CDT Tuesday Update: Idalia strengthening as it moves northward over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the Florida Gulf coast. Heavy rainfall has the potential to produce flash and urban flooding across… pic.twitter.com/ZlfnIKEe9j
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2023
Once Idalia makes landfall in Florida, the hurricane is expected to continue north through the eastern coasts of Georgia, and the Carolinas on Wednesday and Thursday, but is expected to decrease in strength as it travels north. North Carolina joined Florida on Monday in issuing a state of emergency, which helps streamline state resources, including activating the state national guard.
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Another hurricane, dubbed Hurricane Franklin which is a Category 4 hurricane, is located off the country's east coast. However, Franklin is not expected to impact much of the U.S., and is expected to just skirt the southeastern coast and is expected to decrease Tuesday.
The storms happen to fall around the anniversary of the deadly Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans, Louisiana in 2004.