Residents along Florida’s west coast have been ordered to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall, as forecasters said the storm was strengthening and could become “very dangerous” when it reaches Florida.
Idalia, according to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), became a Category 1 hurricane overnight, and on Tuesday it was heading towards southwest Florida.
The hurricane is moving through warm Gulf of Mexico waters reaching temperatures of up to 31 degrees Celsius, and the storm is expected to “become an extremely dangerous hurricane when it reaches Florida on Wednesday,” the NHC said.
Dangerous hurricanes are considered those that are in category three or more, but according to the NHC, the storm can cause “devastating” and “catastrophic” damage.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged residents along the Gulf to evacuate immediately.
According to authorities, 23 counties have been ordered to evacuate and residents have been instructed to go to shelters or hotels located outside the danger zone.
“This is going to be a powerful hurricane, likely a category three,” DeSantis said.
More than 100 people lost their lives last year when Hurricane Ian hit the west coast of Florida. This hurricane, which was a category four, was carried with powerful winds that destroyed bridges and buildings. The damage caused by the storm is estimated to be over 100 billion dollars.
Idalia is expected to hit northern Florida, an area that DeSantis said has not faced “a major hurricane in a long time.”
US President Joe Biden spoke Monday with DeSantis and approved the declaration of a state of emergency in the state, promising that Florida will have full support, the White House announced.
Georgia and South Carolina are also watching the situation carefully, as the storm is expected to pass close to these states before crossing into the Atlantic.
Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful after global warming due to climate change./REL
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