28th August, 2023
Tropical Storm Idalia could intensify into a hurricane on Monday, bringing severe winds and storm surges to Cuba and Florida later this week.
The hurricane has persistent winds of 60 mph (95 kph) and could reach Category 2 strength with sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph when it makes landfall in Florida on Wednesday, according to Governor Ron DeSantis.
The governor predicted that the hurricane would make landfall in northern Florida’s Big Bend area, where the panhandle meets the peninsula.
The storm is presently near the Yucatan Channel, around 145 miles (235 km) south of Cuba’s western point, according to the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) in the United States.
Idalia could generate scattered flash floods and urban flooding from heavy rainfall along areas of Florida’s west coast, the Panhandle, and southern Georgia late Tuesday night into Wednesday, according to the Miami-based weather forecaster.
“Idalia is likely to be near or at major hurricane intensity when it reaches the Gulf Coast of Florida,” the NHC added.
DeSantis proclaimed a state of emergency in 33 Florida counties on Saturday.
“If you are in the path of this storm, you should expect power outages, so please prepare for that,” DeSantis said during a Sunday meeting with Florida’s Division of Emergency Management.
The governor stated that power company workers were ready for the storm and that 1,100 troops of the National Guard were mobilised with 2,400 high-water vehicles and a dozen helicopters for rescue and recovery missions.
Duke Energy is closely monitoring Idalia’s approach and preparing staff and equipment to respond if customers lose power.