In Florida, a state emergency is in place for 46 counties. The state is preparing to face Tropical Storm Idalia which is expected to turn into a hurricane on Monday.
The counties affected cover a large area stretching from the Gulf Coast up to the Atlantic Coast.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that the hurricane would have a major impact on Florida, as it was predicted to grow from a tropical storm to a Category 3.
This Monday, August 28, 2023 at 9:41 AM ET satellite image, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Tropical Storm Idalia moving between Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, left, and Cuba on the right.
DeSantis stated during a Monday news conference that “the property — we can build someone’s house.” “You cannot unring the bell if someone stays in harm’s path and fights Mother Nature,” DeSantis said during a news conference on Monday. You don’t want to fight Mother Nature.
FILE: Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a Fair-Side Talk during the Iowa State Fair on August 12, 2023 in Des Moines. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson).
FLORIDA HURRICANE THREAT IDALIA TRACER: LIVE FUTURE TRAIL, WATCHES, WARNINGS, SPAGHETTI MODELS, AND MORE
Joe Biden, the president of the United States, said earlier Monday that he spoke with Gov. DeSantis, who is running to be the Republican nominee for president in 2024, has asked to approve an Emergency Declaration that will allow federal funds to assist with repairs and cleanup.
Biden stated that Florida has his full support in preparing for Idalia, and its aftermath.
Florida National Guard has mobilized 1100 members who are equipped with 2,400 high-water vehicle and 12 aircraft for rescue and recovery.
Residents of Florida, on the other hand, began preparing for the storm surge, which could be deadly. They stocked up on sandbags and patio furniture, as well as evacuated their homes along the Gulf Coast. Some people were preparing generators for power outages.
DESANTIS WARNS FLORIDA RESIDENTS TROPICAL STORM IDALIA LIKELY TO BE HURRICANE: ‘REMAIN VIGILANT’
Idalia will start to affect Florida on Tuesday evening with hurricane force winds and reach the coast on Wednesday. This is the first hurricane to hit Florida in this season. It could be a major blow for the state that is still dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Members from the Tampa, Fla. parks and recreation department help residents with sandbags on Monday, August 28, 2023 in Tampa, Fla.
Large areas of Florida’s western coast are vulnerable to storm surges and flooding whenever a storm this size approaches. Pasco and Levy Counties, north of Tampa have both ordered mandatory evacuations. Levy County officials have ordered residents to leave Cedar Key by Tuesday night because the storm surges will make the bridges unpassable.
In a public warning, the county warned that “once the storm surge hits, you may not have access to help.”
FLOODWATERS IN WEST VIRGINIA TRIGGER A STATE OF EMERGENCY
The National Hurricane Center, Miami, issued a Hurricane Warning Monday for the area from Longboat Key to the Holocene river and up past Tampa Bay.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a $1,000,000 award for the historically Black College near the Dollar General shooting in Jacksonville. (Florida Governor’s Office)
Many districts on the Gulf Coast have announced that they will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Eckerd College, in St. Petersburg, told its students that they had to leave the campus by Monday evening.
Tampa International Airport, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport will close Tuesday.
The National Weather Service reported that Idalia had “approached hurricane strength as it approached Western Cuba” by Monday afternoon.
On Tuesday it was predicted to move faster towards the northeast, and reach Florida’s west coast on Wednesday as a dangerous hurricane.
Idalia was forecast to blow through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina after moving across Florida. In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp, the governor of Georgia, ordered Monday that emergency managers activate state operations centres.
Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that 2023’s hurricane season will be much busier than originally forecast. This is partly due to extremely warm ocean temperatures. The season lasts until November 30, with the usual peak occurring in August and September.
