Idalia gained hurricane strength early Tuesday as it headed toward Florida where it was expected to make landfall Wednesday as an ‘extremely dangerous major” storm. Image courtesy NOAA
Aug. 30 (UPI) — Forecasters are warning that Idalia, already a Category 2 storm, was continuing to strengthen and was expected to become “an extremely dangerous” category 4 storm when it hits Florida on Wednesday morning.
In its 1 a.m. Wednesday update, the National Hurricane Center said it expects a catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds in Florida’s Big Bend region when Idalia moves inland.
The forecasters located the storm about 115 miles southwest of Cedar Key, Fla., and 160 miles south of Tallahassee, Fla. The storm was continuing to strengthen and was packing maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, making it a strong Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.
It was moving north at 16 mph.
Forecasters expect the storm to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida on Wednesday morning. After landfall, Idalia is expected to turn toward the northeast and east-northeast, moving near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina late Wednesday and into Thursday.
“Additional strengthening is forecast, and Idalia is expected to become a major hurricane tonight before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida,” the NHC said in an earlier updated. “Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina on Wednesday.”
A storm surge warning is in effect for Englewood northward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay, while a hurricane warning is in effect for the middle of Longboat Key northward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Dry Tortugas, Fla.; Chokoloskee northward to the Middle of Longboat Key; West of Indian Pass to Mexico Beach and Sebastian Inlet, Fla., to South Santee River, S.C.
A storm surge watch is in effect for Chokoloskee nortward to Englewood, including Charlotte Harbor and the mouth of the St. Mary’s River to South Sante River, S.C.
A hurricane watch was in effect for the mouth of St. Mary’s River to Edisto Beach, S.C., while a tropical storm watch was in effect for the lower Florida Keys west of the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge and North of Surf City, N.C., to the North Carolina-Virginia border and for Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.
The NHC said the combination of dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause dry areas near the coast to flood.
The Aucilla River could reach as high as 15 feet if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide, it said, adding that the Ochlockonee River and from Yankeetown to Chassahowitzka could hit 11 feet. Meanwhile the Chassahowitzka to Anclote River could hit 9 feet.
Portions of Florida’s west coast, the Florida Panhandle, southern Georgia and eastern Carolinas are forecast to receive between 4 to 8 inches of rain between Tuesday and Thursday with isolated higher totals of 12 inches, primarily near where the storm is expected to make landfall.
Idalia is gaining strength as Hurricane Franklin approaches Florida from the southeast. The NHC says Franklin is expected to reach Bermuda by Wednesday. Its path will then curve along the East Coast.