Idalia is expected to bring “life-threatening and catastrophic storm surge flooding” to the Florida coast.
Hurricane Idalia is expected to bring “unsurvivable” storm surges and flooding when it crashes into Florida’s west coast on Wednesday morning, according to The Weather Channel, which is urging locals to obey evacuation instructions that “may save your life.”
Idalia was a Category 3 hurricane at 2 a.m. EDT but is “forecast to become a Category 4 hurricane before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida” later this morning by the National Hurricane Center. This means it will have sustained wind speeds of 130-156 miles per hour, with “catastrophic damage” expected.
In a report broadcast late on Tuesday, The Weather Channel used CGI to show the potential impact of the hurricane, with the first floors of buildings submerged. The reporter said: “As extremely dangerous Hurricane Idalia closes in on the north Florida coast, expect life-threatening and catastrophic storm surge flooding.”
Separately, Laura Power, a meteorologist at The Weather Network, posted on X, formerly Twitter, to warn that the storm surges could reach 15 feet on Wednesday.
