If you’re just joining us, here’s a roundup of the key developments:

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• 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.

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• 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).

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• A tornado watch has also been issuedfor 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”.

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• 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.”

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• 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.

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Hurricane Idalia is set to become an “extremely dangerous Category 4 intensity at landfall” the National Hurricane Center has said in its 11pm EDT update.

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The storm, now a Category 2, was packing sustained winds of 110mph – 1mph away from being classified a Category 3 storm, the center said.

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If you’re just joining us, here’s a roundup of the key developments:

“,”elementId”:”7b00a26e-0b22-49c0-89fe-0525c37b99f4″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n

• Hurricane Idalia is forecast to reach Category 3 strength – classified as a major hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of at least 111 mph (179 kph) – before it is predicted to slam into the Big Bend region on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday. It was upgraded to a Category 2 storm late on Tuesday afternoon with winds strengthening to 105 mph (165 kph).

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• At 8 pm EDT Tuesday, Idalia was about 155 miles (250 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving north at 16 mph (26 kph)

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• 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.

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• 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.

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• 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 10 to 15 feet (3.0 to 4.6 m), the hurricane center said.

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• 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.

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• A tornado watch has also been issuedfor 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”.

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• 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.”

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• 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.

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The Florida governor Ron DeSantis advised people under evacuation orders to “make decisions that are best for you and for your family”.

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The National Hurricane Center has warned that “life-threatening” high tide storm surge could reach 10 to 15ft in some areas of the Big Bend. DeSantis said:

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If you’re there while that hits, it’s going to be very difficult to survive that – so please take appropriate precautions.

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He added:

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We are already seeing impacts in southwest Florida. […] The attention of the storm might be 100 miles or extra off the coast of southwest Florida, and but these outer bands are already exhibiting important impacts. So that you’re gonna see impacts all up and down the west coast of Florida because the night time goes on and as we get in to the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

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DeSantis urged all people to “cling in there” and warned the storm will result in “important impacts”, significantly on this a part of the state.

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Be ready for that. Be ready to lose energy and simply know that there’s quite a lot of of us which might be going to be there that can assist you get again in your ft.

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Ron DeSantis has been speaking at another news conference as the state braces for Idalia to make landfall.

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The hurricane is now about 190 miles (305km) south-west of Tampa and is intensifying, DeSantis said. There will be a “significant impact” on the Big Bend region, especially in low-lying and coastal areas, “so please prepare for that”, he said.

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He urged residents under evacuation orders issued by 28 counties not to wait any longer, noting the high storm surge expected on parts of the coast.

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If you are in evacuation zone and you’ve been directed to evacuate […] now’s the time to do it. You continue to have somewhat bit extra time. For those who wait for much longer, by the point we get in additional into tonight, the climate goes to begin getting nastier and nastier.

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DeSantis stated it will be “too nasty” for folks to depart tomorrow morning, and that first responders wouldn’t have the ability to attain them till after the storm had handed.

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Idalia strengthened into a category 2 hurricane with maximum winds of 100mph, as forecasters warned of life-threatening winds and a catastrophic storm surge.

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A storm surge of up to 15ft in some locations, destructive winds up to 125mph and a risk of significant flooding are all forecast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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Forecasters said the storm is expected to make landfall somewhere in Florida’s Big Bend region, a sparsely populated area where the panhandle meets the peninsula.

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5PM EDT 29 Aug: #Idalia to bring catastrophic impacts from storm surge inundation . Residents in these areas should follow any advice or evacuation orders given by local officials. Make sure to stay informed with latest updates at https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJpic.twitter.com/jYnbfkkcyS

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2023

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Idalia has strengthened into a category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 100mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

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Forecasters warned “life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions” are expected along portions of Florida’s Gulf coast tonight and Wednesday.

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Hurricane #Idalia Advisory 13: Idalia Now a Category 2 Hurricane. Life-Threatening Storm Surge and Hurricane Conditions Expected Along Portions of the Gulf Coast of Florida Tonight and Wednesday. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2023

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The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), Deanne Criswell, urged residents in the path of Hurricane Idalia to heed warnings from local officials and to take the storm “seriously”.

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Criswell, at a White House press conference, described the “unprecedented” number of disaster requests from governors due to extreme weather events this year. She added:

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This is the new normal.

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The storm surge from Idalia will likely be “one of the highest-risk parts” of the hurricane and threatens to wreak havoc along the west coast of Florida, Criswell said.

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Very few people can survive being in the path of major storm surge, and this storm will be deadly if we don’t get out of harm’s way and take it seriously.

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She said she spoke on Monday with governors Ron DeSantis of Florida, Brian Kemp of Georgia and Henry McMaster of South Carolina to coordinate on the hurricane and work with the states on their needs.

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North Carolina and South Carolina have each declared a state of emergency ahead of potential impacts from Hurricane Idalia.

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The North Carolina governor, Roy Cooper, declared the emergency on Monday “to activate the state’s emergency operations plan, waive transportation rules to help the transport of fuel and critical supplies and services, help first responders and assist the agriculture industry to prepare in advance for inclement weather and protect consumers from price gouging”, a statement from his office said.

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“We are continuing to monitor Idalia’s course and its potential impacts on our state and it’s critical to make sure we are fully prepared,” Cooper said.

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It is important for North Carolinians to gather emergency kits and prepare for the storm before it’s too late. We also want to make sure our farmers are able to protect their crops.

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South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, declared the emergency on Tuesday, warning that although the state “may avoid the worst of Hurricane Idalia’s impacts”, residents should be “making proper preparations” and authorities would ensure to have “the necessary resources in place to respond to flooding events and are able to respond quickly if the forecast worsens”, Fox reported.

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A state of emergency has also been issued for Georgia.

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Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, has issued a state of emergency for the entire state in preparation for Hurricane Idalia’s anticipated impact on Wednesday.

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The order went into effect on Tuesday and will expire on 8 September, a statement by the governor said.

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“We are taking every precaution ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall tomorrow, and I am taking this additional executive action to ensure state assets are ready to respond.

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Georgians in the expected impact area can and should take necessary steps to ensure their safety and that of their families. We are well positioned to respond to whatever Idalia may bring.

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The hurricane is expected to move through Georgia on Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall and damaging winds throughout the south-east of the state. Tropical storm and hurricane warnings are now in effect for counties in south-east Georgia.

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A rapidly intensifying Hurricane Idalia was closing in on Florida’s Gulf coast on Tuesday, with landfall of the first major hurricane to strike the US this year was expected early on Wednesday.

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Forecasters predicted Idalia would crash ashore as a higher-end category 3 hurricane. Category 3 hurricanes have winds between 111 and 129mph. Anything above a category 2 – on a scale of up to 5 – is considered major.

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A state of emergency has been issued for 49 Florida counties as Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to rapidly strengthen into a major category 3 hurricane, approaches the Sunshine state.

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Florida governor Ron DeSantis announced on Tuesday that a previous executive order was amended and an additional three counties have been added to the state of emergency declaration – Brevard, Orange and Osceola.

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Governor Ron DeSantis Gives Update on Hurricane Idalia From Wildwood Florida https://t.co/nHdRvPr0DA

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 29, 2023

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The predicted landfall of Hurricane Idalia as category 3 hurricane on Florida’s northwest coast led to significant disruptions, with thunderstorms and strong winds expected to impact several airports in the area.

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Tampa international airport was closed on Tuesday, resulting in hundreds of flight cancellations. The airport said it expected to reopen on Thursday morning.

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🚨 TPA TO CLOSE DUE TO IDALIA 🚨

🫡 We will close at 12:01 AM Tuesday

✈️ Check directly with your airline for the latest flight updates

⛈️ TPA is not a shelter

📱 Stay tuned to our social media for the latest

MORE DETAILS ➡️ https://t.co/MXZKAusjzWpic.twitter.com/m6nGbNdul3

— Tampa International Airport ✈️ (@FlyTPA) August 28, 2023

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St Pete-Clearwater international airport said it would close Tuesday 3pm local time, with plans to reopen on Wednesday at 3pm.

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PIE will close 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 29th due to Tropical Storm Idalia and plans to reopen Wednesday, August 30th at 3:00 pm. Passengers should check with their airline for flight information updates.

— St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (@iflypie) August 28, 2023

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More than 20 counties in western and Central Florida have issued evacuation orders ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s expected landfall on Wednesday morning, including parts of Tampa, the state’s third-largest city.

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The counties that have issued mandatory evacuation orders are:

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• Citrus county

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• Dixie county

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• Franklin county

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• Gulf county

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• Lafayette county

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• Levy county

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• Pasco county

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• Pinellas county

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• Suwannee county

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• Taylor county

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• Wakulla county

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The counties under voluntary evacuation orders or advised residents to evacuate are:

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• Alachua county

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• Baker county

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• Gilchrist county

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• Hillsborough county

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• Jefferson county

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• Hernando county

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• Madison county

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• Manatee county

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• Marion county

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• Nassau county

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• Sarasota county

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• Sumter county

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• Union county

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• Volusia county

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Hello and welcome. A rapidly intensifying Idalia grew to hurricane strength early on Tuesday and is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Gulf coast on Wednesday, as residents in more than a dozen counties rushed to evacuate amid warnings of a life-threatening storm surge and destructive 120mph (193km/h) winds.

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Idalia threatens to develop into an “extremely dangerous major hurricane” and lash the Gulf coast, with flash flooding and urban flooding also likely, the National Hurricane Center said. It currently remains a category 1 hurricane for now, but is expected to undergo rapid intensification and become an extremely dangerous category 3 hurricane before landfall on Wednesday.

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The storm’s path is expected to impact a wide central portion of the state, including cities such as Tampa and Orlando, and move close to the Carolina coastline on Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.

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“You still have time this morning to make your final preparations … but you gotta do that now,” the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, announced at the state’s emergency operations center.

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DeSantis on Monday placed 46 of Florida’s 67 counties under an emergency declaration, and Joe Biden signed a federal order freeing up personnel and resources, including Fema search and rescue teams.

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We’ll bring you the latest news from the hurricane as it comes.

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Key occasions

Present key occasions solely

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We’re pausing our protection now however you’ll be able to learn our primary report right here, and the principle updates to date under:

• Hurricane Idalia is forecast to succeed in “a particularly harmful Class 4 depth” with most sustained winds of at the very least 130 mph (209 kph) earlier than it’s predicted to slam into the Huge Bend area on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday.

• It was packing sustained winds of 110mph at 12am EDT on Wednesday, in accordance with the Nationwide Hurricane Middle, making it simply 1mph shy of a Class 3 storm. In the identical replace, the NHC stated Idalia was about 120 miles (195km) southwest of Cedar Key in Florida and about 175 miles (280km) south of Tallahassee, transferring north at 17mph (27kph).

• States of emergency have been declared in Florida, North and South Carolina and Georgia. Residents of weak coastal areas in Florida have been ordered to evacuate, with governor Ron DeSantis warning: “You actually gotta go now. Now could be the time.” In whole, 28 of the state’s 67 counties are below evacuation orders.

• The Nationwide Climate Service in Tallahassee has referred to as Idalia “an unprecedented occasion” since no main hurricanes on file have ever handed by means of the bay abutting the Huge Bend, the place the state’s northern panhandle curves into the Gulf aspect of the Florida Peninsula.

• Surge warnings have been posted for tons of of miles of shoreline, from Sarasota to the game fishing haven of Indian Cross on the western finish of Apalachicola Bay. In some areas, the surge of water might rise 12 to 16 ft, the hurricane heart stated.

• Florida’s Gulf Coast together with southeastern Georgia and japanese parts of North and South Carolina might face torrential rains of 4 to eight inches (10 to twenty cm) by means of Thursday, with remoted areas seeing as a lot as 12 inches (30 cm), the hurricane heart additionally warned.

• A twister watch has additionally been issuedfor components of Florida, together with Tampa and Gainesville, and can stay in place till 6am EDT on Wednesday. The Nationwide Climate Service stated these areas might additionally count on “remoted hail as much as half inch measurement doable”.

• US president Joe Biden stated he and DeSantis had been “in fixed contact,” including that he had assured the governor federal catastrophe help would stay in place for as “lengthy because it takes, and we*ll be certain that they’ve all the pieces they want.”

• Idalia additionally triggered heavy rains in Cuba on Monday and Tuesday, leaving the tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio underwater. Greater than 10,000 folks had been evacuated to shelters or stayed with pals and family as as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell. Greater than half of the province was with out electrical energy.

The town of Tampa has warned that the storm surge of 4 to six ft anticipated within the space might hit after the hurricane’s core strikes previous:

#IDALIA UPDATE 🌀

⚠️ Tampa residents ought to put together for storm surge to reach AFTER the attention of the storm strikes previous our space.

⚠️ We might see 4-6FT of storm surge impacting areas like Bayshore Blvd, Westshore, and Port Tampa between 11AM-5PM Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/uHWZNEVFlk

— Metropolis of Tampa (@CityofTampa) August 30, 2023

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#IDALIA UPDATE 🌀

⚠️ Tampa residents ought to put together for storm surge to reach AFTER the attention of the storm strikes previous our space.

⚠️ We might see 4-6FT of storm surge impacting areas like Bayshore Blvd, Westshore, and Port Tampa between 11AM-5PM Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/uHWZNEVFlk

— Metropolis of Tampa (@CityofTampa) August 30, 2023

About 4,000 inmates of Florida’s prisons have been evacuated or relocated to services “in an abundance of warning” forward of Idalia’s arrival, the state’s Division of Corrections has stated.

It stated inmates from greater than 40 services had been “relocated to bigger primary models (mother or father services), higher outfitted to climate the storm.”

It additionally stated further meals and water provides had been ordered for services within the path of the storm and that “gasoline provides at establishments have been checked in anticipation of generator use.”

Upkeep groups from different groups had been additionally able to deploy after the storm had handed, the division stated.

The hurricane is now about 115 miles (185km) south-west of Cedar Key, Florida and 160 miles (255km) south of Tallahassee with most sustained winds of 110mph, the Nationwide Hurricane Middle has stated in its latest update.

The storm is transferring north at 16mph (26km/h)

A little bit of context: Idalia would be the first hurricane to strike Florida since Nicole in November 2022, which made landfall near Vero Seashore on Florida’s east coast.

The lethal storm packed winds of 75mph winds – significantly lower than Idalia – and a storm surge that collapsed buildings into the ocean and swept away roads as far north as Daytona Seashore.

On the storm’s peak, 330,000 clients lost power, many in areas recovering from Hurricane Ian, which ravaged the state simply two months earlier, killing virtually 150 folks.

Ian was the second-deadliest storm to hit the mainland US within the twenty first century after Hurricane Katrina, which left greater than 1,800 folks useless in 2005.

The deadliest hurricane ever to hit the US was the Galveston Hurricane in 1900 that killed as many as 8,000 folks.

Abstract

For those who’re simply becoming a member of us, right here’s a roundup of the important thing developments:

• Hurricane Idalia is forecast to succeed in “a particularly harmful Class 4 depth” with most sustained winds of at the very least 130 mph (209 kph) earlier than it’s predicted to slam into the Huge Bend area on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday.

• It was packing sustained winds of 110mph at 12am EDT on Wednesday, in accordance with the Nationwide Hurricane Middle, making it simply 1mph shy of a Class 3 storm. In the identical replace, the NHC stated Idalia was about 120 miles (195km) southwest of Cedar Key in Florida and about 175 miles (280km) south of Tallahassee, transferring north at 17mph (27kph).

• States of emergency have been declared in Florida, North and South Carolina and Georgia. Residents of weak coastal areas in Florida have been ordered to evacuate, with governor Ron DeSantis warning: “You actually gotta go now. Now could be the time.” In whole, 28 of the state’s 67 counties are below evacuation orders.

• The Nationwide Climate Service in Tallahassee has referred to as Idalia “an unprecedented occasion” since no main hurricanes on file have ever handed by means of the bay abutting the Huge Bend, the place the state’s northern panhandle curves into the Gulf aspect of the Florida Peninsula.

• Surge warnings have been posted for tons of of miles of shoreline, from Sarasota to the game fishing haven of Indian Cross on the western finish of Apalachicola Bay. In some areas, the surge of water might rise 12 to 16 ft, the hurricane heart stated.

• Florida’s Gulf Coast together with southeastern Georgia and japanese parts of North and South Carolina might face torrential rains of 4 to eight inches (10 to twenty cm) by means of Thursday, with remoted areas seeing as a lot as 12 inches (30 cm), the hurricane heart additionally warned.

• A twister watch has additionally been issuedfor components of Florida, together with Tampa and Gainesville, and can stay in place till 6am EDT on Wednesday. The Nationwide Climate Service stated these areas might additionally count on “remoted hail as much as half inch measurement doable”.

• US president Joe Biden stated he and DeSantis had been “in fixed contact,” including that he had assured the governor federal catastrophe help would stay in place for as “lengthy because it takes, and we*ll be certain that they’ve all the pieces they want.”

• Idalia additionally triggered heavy rains in Cuba on Monday and Tuesday, leaving the tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio underwater. Greater than 10,000 folks had been evacuated to shelters or stayed with pals and family as as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell. Greater than half of the province was with out electrical energy.

The Nationwide Hurricane Middle has issued its 12am update, forecasting a “catastrophic storm surge and harmful winds” within the Florida Huge Bend, the place Idalia is predicted to make landfall early Wednesday.

The hurricane was nonetheless recording sustained winds of 110mph, making it simply 1mph in need of a Class 3 storm.

It’s now about 120 miles (195km) southwest of Cedar Key in Florida and about 175 miles (280km) south of Tallahassee, transferring north at 17mph (27kph).

It’s been attention-grabbing to look at radar of #Idalia’s eye over the past hour or two. Discover the polygonal formed eye close to the beginning of this loop, that turns into extra round in direction of then finish.

That is possible because of eyewall mesovortices merging inside #Idalia’s eye. As these… pic.twitter.com/tmMR44q5BX

— Eric Webb (@webberweather) August 30, 2023

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It’s been attention-grabbing to look at radar of #Idalia’s eye over the past hour or two. Discover the polygonal formed eye close to the beginning of this loop, that turns into extra round in direction of then finish.

That is possible because of eyewall mesovortices merging inside #Idalia’s eye. As these… pic.twitter.com/tmMR44q5BX

— Eric Webb (@webberweather) August 30, 2023

Residents can count on “catastrophic impacts” from storm surges of between 12 and 16 ft and harmful waves someplace between the Wakulla/Jefferson County line and Yankeetown in Florida, the Nationwide Hurricane Middle (NHC) stated in its newest replace.

There’s additionally the potential for “harmful life-threatening winds” when the storm’s core strikes onshore within the Huge Bend, it stated. Robust winds are additionally anticipated to unfold inland throughout components of northern Florida and southern Georgia.

The NHC warned that residents in these areas must be “ready for long-duration energy outages”.

Flash, city and reasonable river flooding with “regionally appreciable impacts” is predicted within the Huge Bend, central Georgia and South Carolina by means of japanese North Carolina into Thursday, it continued.

+ For the textual content model of the 11 pm EDT Key Messages for #Idalia, please see: https://t.co/0r2luuUO6Ghttps://t.co/LnJcWUfZIf

— NOAA (@NOAA) August 30, 2023

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A bit extra from the newest National Hurricane Center update; the storm is now about 125 miles (200km) west of Tampa and 185 miles (300km) south of Tallahassee. It’s travelling north at 18mph (30kph) with a minimal central stress of 958mb.

Idalia to grow to be ‘extraordinarily harmful Class 4 depth at landfall’, hurricane heart says

Hurricane Idalia is about to grow to be an “extraordinarily harmful Class 4 depth at landfall” the Nationwide Hurricane Middle has stated in its 11pm EDT update.

The storm, now a Class 2, was packing sustained winds of 110mph – 1mph away from being categorised a Class 3 storm, the middle stated.

In its final replace the Nationwide Hurricane Middle stated Idalia had reached most sustained wind speeds of 110mph, which means it’s simply 1mph away from being declared a Class 3 storm. The subsequent replace is predicted in only a few minutes.

NEW: The Hurricane Hunters simply discovered flight-level winds of 110 knots (125 mph) within the eyewall of #Idalia.

Floor winds had been estimated at simply over 105 mph. Idalia is teetering getting ready to Class 3 energy, and will get there by 11 p.m. pic.twitter.com/MLB2iyyQmv

— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) August 30, 2023

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NEW: The Hurricane Hunters simply discovered flight-level winds of 110 knots (125 mph) within the eyewall of #Idalia.

Floor winds had been estimated at simply over 105 mph. Idalia is teetering getting ready to Class 3 energy, and will get there by 11 p.m. pic.twitter.com/MLB2iyyQmv

— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) August 30, 2023

Jamie Rhome of the Nationwide Hurricane Middle has warned that individuals could also be underestimating the facility of the approaching storm. He told PBS news:

When you’ve got by no means skilled the facility of a serious hurricane, you’re in all probability underestimating simply how robust it’s …

The circumstances are going to deteriorate quickly by means of the night and in a single day areas prematurely of this technique.

We’re already seeing heavy rain bands and robust winds transfer throughout the Florida Peninsula as we communicate. That is now not a sit and wait, sit and watch, or hope for a unique end result.

It’s clear, should you’re within the path of this technique, and most particularly, most particularly if in case you have been ordered to evacuate, it’s good to do this now, not tomorrow, now.

Individually, he told the BBC {that a} storm surge of 10-15ft (4.5m) may very well be “onerous for lots of people to fathom and envision”.

Rhome, who’s 6ft tall, stated folks ought to attempt to think about one other a number of folks standing on his shoulders to get an image of the anticipated depth of some flood waters.

Abstract

For those who’re simply becoming a member of us, right here’s a roundup of the important thing developments:

• Hurricane Idalia is forecast to succeed in Class 3 energy – categorised as a serious hurricane, with most sustained winds of at the very least 111 mph (179 kph) – earlier than it’s predicted to slam into the Huge Bend area on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday. It was upgraded to a Class 2 storm late on Tuesday afternoon with winds strengthening to 105 mph (165 kph).

• At 8 pm EDT Tuesday, Idalia was about 155 miles (250 kilometers) west-southwest of Tampa, the Nationwide Hurricane Middle stated. It was transferring north at 16 mph (26 kph)

• States of emergency have been declared in Florida, North and South Carolina and Georgia. Residents of weak coastal areas in Florida have been ordered to evacuate, with governor Ron DeSantis warning: “You actually gotta go now. Now could be the time.” In whole, 28 of the state’s 67 counties are below evacuation orders.

• The Nationwide Climate Service in Tallahassee has referred to as Idalia “an unprecedented occasion” since no main hurricanes on file have ever handed by means of the bay abutting the Huge Bend, the place the state’s northern panhandle curves into the Gulf aspect of the Florida Peninsula.

• Surge warnings have been posted for tons of of miles of shoreline, from Sarasota to the game fishing haven of Indian Cross on the western finish of Apalachicola Bay. In some areas, the surge of water might rise 10 to fifteen ft (3.0 to 4.6 m), the hurricane heart stated.

• Florida’s Gulf Coast together with southeastern Georgia and japanese parts of North and South Carolina might face torrential rains of 4 to eight inches (10 to twenty cm) by means of Thursday, with remoted areas seeing as a lot as 12 inches (30 cm), the hurricane heart additionally warned.

• A twister watch has additionally been issuedfor components of Florida, together with Tampa and Gainesville, and can stay in place till 6am EDT on Wednesday. The Nationwide Climate Service stated these areas might additionally count on “remoted hail as much as half inch measurement doable”.

• US president Joe Biden stated he and DeSantis had been “in fixed contact,” including that he had assured the governor federal catastrophe help would stay in place for as “lengthy because it takes, and we*ll be certain that they’ve all the pieces they want.”

• Idalia additionally triggered heavy rains in Cuba on Monday and Tuesday, leaving the tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Rio underwater. Greater than 10,000 folks had been evacuated to shelters or stayed with pals and family as as much as 4 inches (10 centimeters) of rain fell. Greater than half of the province was with out electrical energy.