Hurricane Idalia Strengthens to a Monster Category 4 Hurricane Before Making Landfall

Hurricane Idalia had gained even more strength overnight than forecasters had initially predicted and had been classified as a Category 4 hurricane with winds speeds of 130 mph. By 7am, Hurricane Idalia had slightly weakened to a Category 3 hurricane once again, still classified as a major hurricane, carrying winds of 125 mph.

According to the National Hurricane Center, the eye of Hurricane Idalia was located about 90 miles south of Tallahassee around 5 am, and is continuing to move northeast. After making landfall in Florida, the storm will continue it's path northeast, dangerous winds, heavy rain, and coastal flooding to southeastern Georgia and the eastern Carolinas through Thursday.

Once-in-a-Lifetime Strength

Forecasters are warning that Hurricane Idalia will be extremely dangerous and bring once-in-a-lifetime strength when it makes landfall around 8am ET Wednesday morning.

The time to prepare is over as Idalia is almost ready to strike land just south of Perry, Florida. Up to 16 feet of storm surge is likely in some areas and dangerous winds are expected to bring catastrophic damage. Evacuations had been ordered for 30 Florida counties as monster walls of water also threaten not just the coast, but further inland as well.

"Storm surge of this magnitude is not something we've ever seen in this part of Florida in any of our lifetimes," DeSantis said Tuesday afternoon in a press conference. "So, please, please take the appropriate precautions."

A rare Extreme Wind Warning has been issued for parts of the Big Bend area of Florida, meaning that winds of 115 mph or more are imminent. During this type of warning, residents of the area are urged to take shelter in a safe area immediately, just as you would during a tornado. This means getting to the lowest and most interior room away from outer walls and windows. Dixie, Lafayette, and Taylor counties are among the counties issued this warning.

Image provided by NOAA

Making History

Hurricane Idalia is also predicted to hit the Apalachee Bay area. The last hurricane to hit inland in this part of Florida was categorized as the Labor Day Hurricane in 1935. Since 1935, the entire area of Apalachee Bay has only seen three additional hurricanes - Alma in 1966, Hermine in 2016 south of Tallahassee, and an unnamed hurricane in 1949 that hit near Cedar Key.

That mean residents of this area don't have much experience of what to expect from Idalia, which is expected to be much stronger than what has ever hit this region in the past.

Heavy Rainfall

Even before Idalia was to make landfall, parts of Florida got pounded with heavy rain and experienced flooding. Some areas of Fort Myers that got slammed by Hurricane Ian in 2022 saw shallow floodwater on the roads.

Hurricane Ian was a Category 5 hurricane that blasted southwest Florida with life-threatening storm surge and disastrous winds. It was considered the fourth deadliest hurricane in the U.S. in the past 60 years. Hurricane Idalia has the potential to join this growing list as the warm waters of the Gulf continue to add fuel to the fire.

Reaching Farther Than Florida

Although Florida will bear the brunt of Hurricane Idalia, other southern states are also preparing for the worst.

South Carolina Governor, Henry McMaster, declared a State of Emergency for the state on Tuesday, while Tropical Storm Warnings and Storm Surge Watches are in place for coastal Georgia and South Carolina, including Charleston.

hurricane

Hurricane Idalia Strengthens to a Monster Category 4 Hurricane Before Making Landfall

Once-in-a-Lifetime Strength

Making History

Heavy Rainfall

Reaching Farther Than Florida

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