"CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Hurricane Idalia strengthened to a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning as it steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region and threatened to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall.
Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave as Hurricane Idalia gained strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and authorities warned of a “catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds” when the storm moves ashore later Wednesday morning.
Idalia was projected to come ashore as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of at least 130 mph (209 kph) in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. The result could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian. It had grown into a Category 2 system on Tuesday afternoon and became a Category 3 just hours earlier Wednesday."
Daniel Kozin reports for the Associated Press August 30, 2023.
SEE ALSO:
"What Makes Idalia So Potent? It’s Feeding On Intensely Warm Water That Acts Like Rocket Fuel" (AP)
"How Climate Change Helped Fuel Hurricane Idalia" (CNN)
"Hurricane Idalia Floods Florida Streets As Outages Grow" (Weather Channel)
"All Of Central Florida Under Tornado Watch As Idalia Approaches" (WESH)
"Hundreds Of Flights Are Canceled As Hurricane Idalia Disrupts Air Travel" (CNN)
"Live updates: Alachua County braces for Hurricane Idalia impact" (Gainesville Sun)
"Hurricane Idalia’s Path: What To Expect When It Hits Florida" (Reuters)
"Idalia’s Dreaded Rapid Intensification Is Becoming The Norm For Gulf Storms" (Washington Post)
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