Idalia strengthened to a hurricane Tuesday morning as it barreled toward Florida’s Gulf coast with the potential to bring a life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds in the state over the next two days, the National Hurricane Center forecasted.
The Hurricane Center said the storm could bring sustained winds of up to 120 mph as it moves toward the Sunshine State, which would make it a Category 3 hurricane. The forecasters said the center of Idalia is expected to move over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday before reaching the Gulf coast of Florida on Wednesday.
Forecasters warned Idalia is expected to become an “extremely dangerous major hurricane before making landfall” on Wednesday.
“You should be wrapping up your preparation for #TropicalStormIdalia tonight and Tues morning at the latest,” the National Weather Service in Tampa Bay said Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm in 46 counties and has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members for rescue and recovery efforts. The governor also spoke with President Biden, who approved an emergency declaration for Florida in anticipation of the storm, freeing up additional federal resources for the state to respond to it.
Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said they would close Tuesday due to the storm. DeSantis also said the state Department of Transportation would waive tolls on highways in the Tampa area and the Big Bend starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday to lessen the burden on people who are in the path of the storm.
Storm surges and floods pose a large threat to the western coast of Florida, with evacuation notices having been issued for 21 counties. Eight of those counties have mandatory evacuation orders for some residents, including those who live in coastal areas, mobile homes and boats.
Levy County — north of Tampa — was one of the counties that ordered mandatory evacuations for its residents, warning that those living in Cedar Key must be off the island by Tuesday evening. The county said that help may not be able to reach those who need it after the storm surge comes in.