Editor’s Note: Impacted by the storm? Use CNN’s lite site for low bandwidth. CNN — Idalia weakened to a tropical storm on Wednesday evening, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to parts of southern Georgia and the Carolinas. Prior to reaching these areas, the storm had already battered Florida’s west coast, causing flooding and power outages. In South Carolina, the water level at Charleston Harbor reached the fifth highest level ever recorded, just slightly lower than levels during previous hurricanes. Coastal areas experienced major flooding, with breaches in dunes and water flowing into homes and onto roads. Flooding also occurred in other areas, leading to road closures and limited access. In Crystal River, Florida, homes were completely underwater, and in Pasco County, around 6,000 homes were inundated with water, causing major damage. President Joe Biden has offered assistance to affected states, emphasizing the impact of the climate crisis. The storm’s center was located near Charleston, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. Coastal and river flooding threats remain for parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Idalia is expected to move near or along South Carolina’s coast before heading offshore near North Carolina. Heavy rain is forecasted to continue in the affected areas, leading to flash flooding, urban flooding, and moderate river flooding. Tornadoes are also possible in coastal North Carolina. Multiple storm-related deaths have been reported, including one in Georgia and at least two in Florida. Evacuation orders were issued in 28 counties in Florida, and search and rescue operations are underway. Power outages are affecting hundreds of thousands of customers in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Boil water notices have been issued in several Florida counties, and initial assessments of storm damage are being conducted. Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Florida’s Big Bend area, with record-breaking storm surge in Cedar Key. Crystal River has also experienced severe damage, and rebuilding efforts are now underway.
Deadly Tropical Storm Idalia floods parts of South Carolina, including Charleston, after pummeling Florida
Denial of responsibility! Chronicles Live is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – chronicleslive.com. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.