Hurricane Idalia tracker: Storm strengthens to Category 2, nears Florida’s Gulf Coast - The Independent

Hurricane Idalia 11pm update: Idalia could become Category 4 as storm nears Florida’s Gulf Coast | The Independent

Warning Hurricane Idalia could become Category 4 as storm nears Florida’s Gulf Coast: Live updates

Idalia is rapidly intensifying into an extremely dangerous hurricane before making landfall on Wednesday with storm surge of up to 12 feet in parts of the Florida Gulf coast

Louise Boyle,

Stuti Mishra,
Graig Graziosi Comments

Hurricane Idalia is gaining power as it crawls towards Florida’s Gulf Coast and is now forecast to reach Category 4 intensity by the time it makes landfall, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Idalia was generating maximum sustained winds of 110mph (177kph) by late Tuesday night – at the upper end of Category 2 – and its force will ratchet higher before it slams ashore.

By the time it makes landfall on Wednesday, the storm was forecast to reach “an extremely dangerous Category 4 intensity” – with maximum sustained winds of at least 130mph (209kph) – on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale.

Idalia has already forced mass evacuations in low-lying areas and the state activated 55,000 national guardsmen and 25,000 electric linemen ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.

“The property – we can rebuild someone’s home. You can’t unring the bell, though, if somebody stays in harm’s way and does battle with Mother Nature,” governor Ron DeSantis said.

Idalia’s most dangerous feature appeared to be the powerful surge of wind-driven seawater, up to 15 feet, that is expected to hit barrier islands and other low-lying areas along the coast.
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Biden promises federal government will give Florida ‘everything they need’ to respond to Idalia

The White House says it will do whatever is necessary to support Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia.

“We’re gonna make sure that they have everything they need,” the president said on Tuesday.
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Hurricane Idalia expected to land as Category 4 storm

Hurricane Idalia is gaining fury as it crawls toward Florida's Gulf Coast, and is now forecast to reach Category 4 intensity by the time it makes landfall.

The storm is expected to arrive on Wednesday morning, forcing mass evacuations in low-lying areas expected to be swamped.

Idalia was generating maximum sustained winds of 110 miles per hour (177 kph) by late Tuesday night - at the upper end of Category 2 - and its force will ratchet higher before it slams ashore, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) projected.

By that time the storm was forecast to reach "an extremely dangerous Category 4 intensity" - with maximum sustained winds of at least 130 mph (209 kph) - on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale, the NHC reported.

The hurricane was upgraded on Tuesday evening to a Category 2 after its top wind speeds surpassed 95 mph (153 kph), feeding on the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Any storm designated Category 3 or higher is classified as a major hurricane.

Idalia's most dangerous feature, however, appeared to be the powerful surge of wind-driven seawater it is expected to deliver to barrier islands and other low-lying areas along the coast.
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Live: View of Fort Myers as Hurricane Idalia hurtles towards Florida
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Climate change makes rapidly intensifying storms ‘more likely'

The climate crisis will make the prospect of storms rapidly intensifying over warm ocean waters much more likely, according to scientists.

“The frequency of cases of rapid intensification has increased in recent years,” Allison Wing, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at Florida State University, told CNN on Tuesday. “While each storm has a unique set of circumstances, climate change makes the occurrence of strong hurricanes that rapidly intensify more likely.”

Rapid intensification occurs when a storm’s wind speed increases by at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less.

The process makes storms more dangerous and harder to prepare for.
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How climate change is impacted Hurricane Idalia

Hurricanes draw their energy from warm sea waters, and few places are hotter right now than those surrounding Florida.

“It’s 88, 89 degrees (31, 32 degrees Celsius) over where the storm’s going to be tracking, so that’s effectively rocket fuel for the storm,” Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “It’s basically all systems go for the storm to intensify.”

Climate change, in addition to a natural El Niño pattern, are causing extremely warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean at the moment.
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Flashback: Ron DeSantis doesn’t acknowledge human role in climate crisis

As a hurricane heads towards Florida, it’s worth remembering that Governor Ron DeSantis, who will lead the state’s disaster response, would not vocally acknowledge the human drivers of the climate crisis during last week’s Republican debate.

Instead of expounding on his views, he lashed out at Joe Biden for his response to the deadly Maui fires, the deadliest wildfire in more than a century in the US, a disaster that was fuelled in part by the climate crisis, according to scientists.

“First of all, one of the reasons our country has declined is because of the way the corporate media treats Republicans versus Democrats,” Mr DeSantis said. “Biden was on the beach while those people were suffering. He was asked about it and said no comment. Are you kidding me? As someone who has handled disasters in Florida, you’ve gotta be activated. You’ve gotta be there. You’ve gotta be present. You’ve gotta be helping people who are doing this.”

The only candidate who affirmatively acknowledged the reality of the climate crisis at length was former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.

Republican candidates spark outrage with sweeping climate crisis denial at debate

Climate denial onstage comes amid unprecendented fires in Hawaii and tropical storms in Southern California
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Clouds darken sky as Hurricane Idalia approaches Tampa

Hurricane Idalia isn’t expected to make landfall until Wednesday, but the skies area already darkening on the Florida coast.

A wall of dark clouds could be seen looming above the ocean off the coast of Tampa, even as some beachgoers continued to play in the water.
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Florida cities already flooding from Hurricane Idalia

Hurricane Idalia’s outer bands are already arriving on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Residents of Fort Myers Beach, in the south of the state, captured ankle-deep flooding on Tuesday, even as the storm isn’t expected to arrive in full force until tomorrow.

Watch below via AccuWeather.
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WATCH: Ron DeSantis provides update on incoming Hurricane Idalia

Florida governor Ron DeSantis spoke from Lake City, Florida, on Tuesday to warn residents about the incoming Hurricane Idalia, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.

See his full remarks below.
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‘Don’t mess around with this,’ forecast warns

Forecasters say Hurricane Idalia, which is barreling towards the Gulf Coast of Florida, is unprecedented.

“You need to complete your preparations today if you live in the Florida big bend. To put this system into the historical context, there are NO major hurricanes in the historical dataset going back to 1851 that have tracked into Apalachee Bay. None,” the National Weather Service said on Tuesday in a public forecast. “Don`t mess around with this. Follow the advice of your local emergency management.”