Italia made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane with very high winds. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said these could reach gusts of 205 kmph.
The eye of the hurricane made landfall near Keaton Beach on Florida’s northwest coast at 7:45 a.m. local time, where water levels rose rapidly, the NHC said.
Idalia briefly went to a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale, which includes a 5, before it was downgraded in the morning as it neared the coast, but the agency stressed that the change in wind speed “does not reduce the threat of coastal inundation and violence.” Air” and “possible death”.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned at a press conference that the hurricane “is powerful, and if you’re home, take shelter until it passes.”
Officials expect Idalia to generate “a lot of debris” and power outages, he added.
>> Check out some footage of Hurricane Italia on X:
Fear of power cuts and floods
More than 144,000 homes were without power in Florida Wednesday morning, according to the specialty site Poweroutage.us.
US meteorologists have warned against catastrophic flooding, with water rising 3 to 5 meters in some places. Additionally, parts of Florida could receive up to 30 centimeters of rain.
“Very few people can survive the path of a major coastal flood, and this storm is dangerous if we don’t get out of harm’s way and take it seriously,” the boss said. Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEMA), Dean Criswell.
eviction call
Ron DeSantis called for evacuations “immediately” the day before in 23 counties along the coast, saying the hurricane would be the strongest to hit the region in more than a century.
Residents and businesses have taken shelter in an effort to protect their homes and businesses from the storm.
A gas station wrapped in plastic to protect it from Hurricane Italia [Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich – EPA / Keystone]
Federal aid
Speaking with Ron DeSantis as he looks to run for president in 2024, US President Joe Biden on Monday approved a declaration of emergency and released federal aid.
“We’re in constant contact,” Joe Biden said.
Tampa International Airport was closed and flights were grounded on the East Coast of the United States, which was battered by another Atlantic hurricane, Franklin.
South Carolina and Georgia, as well as states further north, have already declared states of emergency. Although its intensity is expected to decrease after landfall, “Italia will still be a hurricane as it crosses southern Georgia, possibly as it approaches the Georgia coast or South Carolina during the day,” the NHC said.
ats/juma
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”