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Idalia, currently a Category 1 storm, is expected to make landfall in the lightly populated Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 3 system with sustained winds of up to 193kph. This could have significant consequences for the state, which is still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian last year.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has labeled Idalia as an “unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes have ever passed through the bay adjacent to the Big Bend region.
Officials in Cedar Key, an island in the path of the storm, are urging the 900 residents under mandatory evacuation orders to leave immediately. State troopers have been visiting homes to inform residents about the potential 4.5-meter storm surge.
Commissioner Sue Colson, one of the city officials in Cedar Key, stated firmly, “One word: Leave. It’s not something to discuss.”
However, not everyone is following the evacuation orders. Andy Bair, owner of the historic Island Hotel, plans to stay and protect his bed-and-breakfast, as it has not flooded in the 20 years he has owned it, even during Hurricane Hermine in 2016.
Utility workers are mobilizing to begin repairs as soon as the hurricane passes, with over 30,000 workers involved in the effort.
In Tarpon Springs, 60 patients were evacuated from a hospital due to concerns about a potential 2.1-meter storm surge.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis advised residents to seek higher ground in safe structures and ride out the storm there, rather than driving long distances out of the state.
Idalia’s effects are already being felt in the Florida Keys and southwestern coast, with beachside establishments preparing for the storm. Despite the warnings, some people are still observing the beach’s increasingly choppy waters.
After making landfall in the Big Bend region, Idalia is expected to move across the Florida peninsula and bring heavy rain to southern Georgia and the Carolinas. Georgia governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency and mobilized up to 1,000 National Guard troops.
Meanwhile, Idalia has already caused significant damage in Cuba, particularly in the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio. Over 10,000 people have been evacuated and more than half of the province is without electricity.
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