Idalia has intensified into a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to a Tuesday evening update on the “life-threatening” storm that’s expected to worsen overnight.
Rapidly strengthening into a Category 2, Idalia continues to gain momentum as the storm roars past Cuba. Winds have bombarded the island nation as the hurricane heads north through the Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico, according to an advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Floridians are urged to make final preparations for the looming storm, NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said while providing an update on the approaching hurricane around 5:30 p.m. ET.
“This is important because time is of the essence,” Rhome said. “There is no more time to monitor and hope for this system.”
A man on Tuesday rides a bike through a flooded street in Havana, Cuba. Tropical Storm Idalia strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane by Tuesday evening as it headed toward Florida’s Gulf Coast and Panhandle, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty
Newsweek reached out via email on Tuesday to the NHC to arrange an interview with Rhome. This article is expected to be updated with further comment.
Idalia is expected to continue to strengthen Tuesday night and become an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 by morning, when its forecast to hit Florida, Rhome said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Idalia’s wind speeds topped 90 mph, classifying it a Category 2 hurricane. Forecasters warn the storm is expected to pummel Florida’s Gulf Coast and Panhandle. Current forecasts show that Idalia will move through Florida on Wednesday before exiting the Sunshine State by Thursday morning, according to the NHC. Forecasters expect it to continue northeastward, affecting southeastern parts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina before shifting into the Atlantic.
Storm Surge
Idalia’s storm surge will wallop Florida’s west coast, Rhome said, noting that life-threatening conditions are expected.
A surge of 10 to 15 feet is likely for some parts of Florida’s west coast, with the NHC warning that the surge could have “catastrophic impacts.”
“We anticipate now the strongest and most impactful storm surge of 10 to 15 feet in the Florida Big Ben including the small community of Cedar Key,” Rhome said. “So if you’re watching us from Cedar Key, you got to get out of there. Those conditions are not at all survivable.”
State officials have urged Floridians to prepare for the hurricane and its aftermath, as some gas stations were already running dry as of Tuesday morning as residents evacuate and stock up.
Rhome said that for people who have been ordered to evacuate that it is “imperative” they do so.
A graphic depicts storm surge levels predicted for Hurricane Idalia as of Tuesday. Idalia has intensified into a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
National Hurricane Center
Wind Speed
As a Category 2, Idalia was churning out wind speeds of 100 mph on Tuesday evening, Rhome said. The hurricane will continue to intensify overnight, reaching Category 3 by morning, when winds of 150 mph are expected, “maybe even a little stronger,” Rhome said.
Areas where a hurricane warning is in effect, which is in Tampa and northward inland into parts of southeastern Georgia, Rhome said hurricane-force wind speeds are expected throughout the next 24 hours. He said residents should “be prepared” for extreme conditions.
“It is again, it is no longer time to monitor this situation,” he warned in the evening update. “It is time to prepare.”
There is the potential for “destructive life-threatening winds” as the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Florida Panhandle, with hurricane conditions expected throughout portions of the warning area along the state’s Gulf Coast, according to the NHC.
Strong winds will also spread inland across portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia, the hurricane center said, adding that residents in these areas should be prepared for long-duration power outages.
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