Hurricane Idalia Strengthens on Its Way to Florida, Expected to Make Landfall as a Category 4 Storm

By Marco Bello and Joseph Ax

CEDAR KEY, Florida – Hurricane Idalia intensified on Tuesday as it approached Florida’s Gulf Coast, prompting widespread evacuations in coastal areas anticipated to be inundated when the powerful storm, projected to attain Category 4 status, makes landfall on Wednesday morning.

As of late Tuesday night, Idalia was producing maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour and was expected to increase in force before hitting the coast, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). By the time it reaches Florida, the storm is expected to reach "an extremely dangerous Category 4 intensity" with sustained winds of at least 130 mph.

The hurricane was upgraded to Category 2 on Tuesday evening after wind speeds exceeded 95 mph, drawing energy from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Any storm categorized as a Category 3 or higher is considered a major hurricane.

Of particular concern is the significant storm surge that Idalia is projected to bring to barrier islands and low-lying coastal regions.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis advised residents in susceptible areas to follow evacuation orders and seek higher ground, stressing that the storm surge could lead to life-threatening flooding.

"I don’t want to be one of the fatalities they’re expecting," stated Rene Hoffman, a resident of Steinhatchee, Florida, an area forecasted for direct impact. She expressed her fears, saying, "This is scary, you know, to think that water could come this high. We’ve never had water up here before."

The NHC indicated that the hurricane’s center would likely strike near the Big Bend region, where Florida’s northern panhandle curves into the Gulf Coast, roughly situated between Gainesville and Tallahassee.

Compared to the densely populated Tampa-St. Petersburg area, the Big Bend is less populated and features a marshy coastline interspersed with freshwater springs and rivers, including a cluster of islands forming Cedar Key, a historic fishing village that suffered devastation from a hurricane storm surge in 1896.

Hurricane, tropical storm, and storm surge alerts were issued for most of Florida’s 21 million residents, along with many individuals in Georgia and South Carolina. Emergency declarations were activated in these states.

In Washington, President Biden noted he was in continuous communication with DeSantis, reassured the governor that federal disaster assistance would be ready for as long as necessary.

Energy companies in the Gulf were also taking precautions. Staff were evacuated from multiple offshore oil production platforms, and a petroleum pipeline was scheduled for shut down due to the approaching hurricane.

Idalia’s impact extended to Florida’s Atlantic coast, where a scheduled rocket launch carrying a U.S. Space Force satellite was postponed indefinitely.

The storm developed from a tropical storm to a hurricane early Tuesday, just after moving west of Cuba, where it caused damage and flooding in various communities.

By Tuesday evening, Idalia was located approximately 125 miles west of Tampa and was drawing closer to the shore.

If predictions hold true, Idalia will mark the fourth major hurricane to strike Florida in recent years, following hurricanes Irma (2017), Michael (2018), and Ian (2022).

In Sarasota, which was severely affected by Hurricane Ian, resident Milton Bontrager prepared his home with supplies and boarded up windows. "I don’t panic; I prepare," he remarked, emphasizing his proactive approach as he secured his fishing boats.

The Gulf Coast area along with southeastern Georgia and parts of North and South Carolina could experience heavy rainfall, with accumulations of 4 to 8 inches expected through Thursday and localized areas receiving as much as 12 inches.

Storm surge warnings were issued along hundreds of miles of coastline, stretching from Sarasota to Indian Pass at the western end of Apalachicola Bay. In some regions, water levels could rise between 10 to 15 feet.

"The No. 1 killer in all of these storms is water," warned Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in a recent interview.

More than 40 school districts across Florida canceled classes in anticipation of the storm, and Tampa International Airport ceased commercial operations with plans to reopen shortly after.

Approximately 5,500 National Guard members were activated, and thousands of utility workers were put on standby. The state is also prepared for potential fuel supply interruptions, having set aside a significant amount of gasoline.

As Floridians prepared for the storm, Cuba was dealing with the aftermath of Idalia’s earlier passage. The storm lingered off the western coast of the Caribbean island, leading to downed trees and flooding in several coastal towns.

In Pinar del Rio, where prime tobacco used for cigars is cultivated, around 60 percent of the area was reported to be without power, and evacuations affected thousands of residents.