2023-08-30 15:26:00
Idalia made landfall on the northwest coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 hurricane, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced.
Hurricane Idalia, extremely dangerous, made landfall in the region of Bing Bend, Florida”, announced the NHC on the social network X (formerly Twitter). The message states that the tropical cyclone is causing “catastrophic storms and damaging winds” from up 195 with even stronger bursts.
Before making landfall in Florida, Idalia was classified as a Category 4 hurricane as it made its way through the Gulf of Mexico, before being downgraded to magnitude 3 on the Saffir-Simpson scale (which goes up to 5), as usually happens when cyclonic phenomena advance. on solid ground.
Meteorological authorities, however, warned in a statement that Idalia remains a potentially dangerous hurricane on its northward path towards Georgia and South Carolina.
Since Monday night, Idalia has also affected Cuba, where there have been floods, electricity cuts and operations to evacuate residents.
Cyclonic storms, which cause floods of 3 to 5 meters in some coastal areas, could cause disastrous flooding, warned the NHC.
“Few people can survive being in the path of a major cyclonic storm, and this storm will be deadly if we don’t move away from the danger and take it seriously,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) director Deanne Criswell.
In Steinatchee, a small town of 1,000 inhabitants in northwest Florida, dozens of people have been preparing since Tuesday night to seek shelter.
Robert Bryant was preparing the last details with his parents, his two cats and his dog. “We are in the water, so we will be the most affected,” said the 18-year-old student, whose home is over a river mouth.
Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate, urged those in evacuation zones along the Gulf of Mexico coast to leave “immediately.”
DeSantis said Idalia was likely to be the strongest hurricane to hit the region in over a century.
– Federal aid –
The American president, Joe Biden, signed an emergency declaration for Florida on Monday, which guarantees federal aid to face the passage of Idalia.
“I spoke with the governor in the evening, we are offering everything that is necessary. We are in constant contact”, declared Biden on Tuesday about DeSantis who, like him, wants to run for president in 2024.
Tampa’s international airport closed and flights were interrupted on the east coast of the United States, victim of another hurricane, Franklin, coming from the Atlantic.
The heavy rains caused by Hurricane Idalia in western Cuba caused flooding in several locations and left more than 200,000 residents without electricity.
One of the most affected areas was the tobacco growing zone of Pinar del Ro. The region is still recovering from the passage of Hurricane Ian, which caused two deaths in September last year.
The rains, with gusts of wind that exceeded 110, damaged tobacco production in Vueltabajo.
Nearly 150 people died last year when Hurricane Ian made landfall on Florida’s west coast as a devastating Category 4 storm: bridges collapsed, buildings were destroyed, and damage exceeded $100 billion.
Scientists warn that storms will become more and more powerful with the increase in temperature on the planet due to climate change.
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