UPDATE: As of 7 a.m. the winds of Hurricane Idalia fell to Category 3 levels. Here's the latest update on the storm: Category 3 Hurricane Idalia nearing landfall along Florida Gulf Coast
Original story:
Hurricane Idalia strengthened to a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning as it steams toward Florida’s Big Bend region and threatens to unleash deadly storm surges and rainfall.
Idalia was projected to come ashore early Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of at least 130 mph (209 kph) in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. The result could be a big blow to a state still dealing with lingering damage from last year’s Hurricane Ian.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend.
Hurricanes are measured on a five category scale, with a Category 5 being the strongest. A Category 3 storm is the first on the scale considered a major hurricane. The National Hurricane Center says “catastrophic damage will occur” during a Category 4 storm.
At 5 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Idalia was about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) west of Cedar Key and 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Tallahassee, the National Hurricane Center said. It was moving north at 18 mph (24 kph).
Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave as Hurricane Idalia gained strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and authorities warned of a “catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds” when the storm moves ashore Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through the bay abutting the Big Bend.
