Counties along Florida’s Gulf Coast near Tampa Bay are calling on residents to evacuate from certain high-risk areas.
Counties across Florida have begun to issue evacuation orders as Tropical Storm Idalia continues its approach toward the state.
Strengthening over the last few days, Idalia is currently predicted to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast by Wednesday morning. As of early Monday, the storm was situated approximately 150 miles off the western tip of Cuba and was generating sustained winds of up to 60 miles per hour. While not expected to reach the same destructive power, Idalia is expected to hit near the same region of Western Florida where Category 5 Hurricane Ian made landfall in September 2022.
With the storm only days away, evacuation orders are now being issued by several Florida counties. Pasco County, which is located in the Tampa Bay area and is home to over 560,000 residents, issued both mandatory and voluntary orders, depending on location and circumstances.
