New Delhi. Florida’s vulnerable coastal areas have been ordered to pack up and evacuate as Hurricane Idalia continues to strengthen and cause heavy rain and flooding in the Gulf of Mexico. It is moving at a speed of 100 km per hour. Idalia said heavy rains in Cuba on Monday and Tuesday flooded the country’s tobacco-growing province of Pinar del Río and left many homes without electricity.
Idalia was upgraded to a Category-2 storm by Tuesday afternoon and sustained wind gusts of up to 165 kmph in the affected areas by evening. It is expected to strengthen to a Category-3 storm on Wednesday morning, with sustained winds of 193 kilometers per hour in the Big Bend area. The Big Bend is the area where the Florida Panhandle bends toward the peninsula. After Idalia’s knockdown, Florida, which is reeling from the devastation caused by last year’s Hurricane Ian, is expected to take a major hit.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia an “unprecedented event”, as no major hurricane in known history has passed through the bay adjacent to the Big Bend. In Cedar Key, Commissioner Sue Colson is seen packing documents and electronic products with other city officials at City Hall. He ordered all 900 residents of the city to compulsorily evacuate the area. More than a dozen goers were seen going door-to-door warning that the storm could inundate up to 4.5 meters.
“Just one word: leave the area,” Colson said. This is not something that should be discussed.” Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated the warning at an afternoon press conference. He said, “You really should go now. Now is the time.” Earlier, DeSantis stressed that residents did not need to leave the province, but should “move to higher ground in a safe structure.” People could return to their homes after the storm subsided.
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Tags: American news, Cyclone, International news, US news
First published: August 30, 2023