The past few hours witnessed wind gusts reaching speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour.
The storm has already caused flooding in some coastal areas and is expected to make landfall Wednesday morninglocal time (around 11 a.m. Portugal time).
The point is to leave
More than 1.6 million people were ordered to leave their homes in Florida as the hurricane approached.
“Now is a critical time. “We are going to get hit by a major hurricane,” Governor Ron DeSantis warned as he urged Floridians to heed evacuation warnings and… Comply with mandatory withdrawal orders And voluntary statements issued during the past 24 hours.
“You really should go now.”DeSantis insisted.
The governor declared a state of emergency in 46 of Florida’s 67 counties.
Hurricane wave strength can reach historic levels throughout the year. Big Bend area. The National Hurricane Center warns of this Wave heights range from 3 to 5 metresThis will cause flooding, and Idalia is classified as a “catastrophic” storm.
“NWS satellite and radar images show that Idalia is becoming increasingly organized.”The Hurricane Center warned.
After Idalia reaches Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane will continue to land north of this state, southeastern Georgia, and close to the coast of South Carolina..
The President of the United States ensures that he will be in constant contact with the Governor of Florida, to provide everything required within the next few hours.
Five thousand five hundred men of the Florida National Guard are on alert and 40,000 personnel are on duty, doing whatever is necessary.
Big Bend is located near where the state’s peninsula curves toward the east and west of the Panhandle, along the Apalachee Gulf. According to the NHC, no major hurricane has hit Appalachian Bay in northwest Florida since 1851.
“For some communities, this may be worse than they imagine because so few people understand the power of a major hurricaneJimmy Romm, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, told the BBC.