“Idalia is now a hurricane. It is expected to rapidly intensify to become an extremely dangerous major hurricane before making landfall on Wednesday,” the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest published bulletin. at 0900 GMT.
A “major hurricane” is a classification reserved for those that exceed category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which includes 5 in total. They are likely to cause “devastating” and “catastrophic” destruction, according to the NHC.
The storm is expected to pass through the Gulf of Mexico
“Life-threatening coastal flooding and dangerous winds are increasingly likely for parts of Florida,” the forecast center warned. Flash and urban flooding could affect parts of Florida and southern Georgia on Wednesday. Flooding could reach parts of South Carolina Wednesday through Thursday, he warned.
At the time of publication of the last NHC bulletin, Idalia was 600 kilometers south-southwest of Tampa, Florida with sustained winds of up to 120 km/h. Rain, high swells and powerful winds are expected Tuesday in Cuba and these bad weather should lead to flooding and mudslides, warned the NHC.
According to local media, nearly 8,000 inhabitants of the province of Pinar del Río, in the west of the island, evacuated their homes in anticipation of his arrival. This region was hit in September 2022 by Category 3 Hurricane Ian, which killed at least two people in Cuba.
In Havana, residents are confined to their homes. Idalia should then pass through the Gulf of Mexico, where there is currently “a marine heat wave”, a hurricane-enhancing factor, according to the researchers. The storm “will move over water nearing 31°C,” the NHC said.
Floods expected
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced evacuations would be ordered on the Gulf Coast. “This is going to be a major and powerful hurricane,” he said, asking residents to prepare. “From Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, it will really get tougher.”
President Joe Biden on Monday approved a state of emergency and released federal aid. The US Federal Disaster Management Agency (Fema) is already preparing for the aftermath of the storm, including pre-deploying some of its employees, according to the White House.
The Democratic leader also spoke with Ron DeSantis to assure him of his support, the executive said. The two men, with opposing political positions, are candidates for the 2024 presidential election.
At the end of September 2022, Florida was hit by the powerful hurricane Ian, which killed nearly 150 people and caused extensive damage as it passed through the southwest of this state. It had leveled entire neighborhoods, alone causing more than $100 billion in damage – by far the world’s costliest weather disaster of the year.
With global warming, hurricanes are becoming more powerful, fueled by warmer ocean surfaces, scientists say.