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CNN — Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to strengthen into a powerful Category 3 hurricane on Monday and has the potential to bring devastating winds, heavy rain, and flooding to Florida’s Gulf Coast later this week. Consequently, evacuations and school closures have been ordered in parts of the state. The National Hurricane Center has warned that a life-threatening storm surge is becoming increasingly likely for certain areas of Florida. As of Monday night, Idalia had winds of 70 mph and was approximately 10 miles northwest of Cuba’s western tip. Over 8,000 people were evacuated from coastal areas in western Cuba in anticipation of the storm.
The National Hurricane Center has predicted that Idalia will continue to rapidly intensify and become a major hurricane by late Tuesday. The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday along Florida’s Big Bend, a storm surge-prone area on the coast stretching from Tampa to just south of Tallahassee. A storm surge of up to 12 feet is forecasted for this region. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations have been issued for at least 10 counties, including Hillsborough County, home to Tampa. More than 5,000 National Guard members have been activated to assist with the storm response.
Idalia’s impacts will be felt beyond the cone of the storm. Storm surge, wind, and rain are expected to affect much of Florida’s Gulf Coast. After making landfall, the storm will bring damaging winds and heavy rain further inland into Florida, parts of Georgia, and even the Carolinas. The Florida Keys and the state’s southwestern coast will experience increasing wind speeds as early as Tuesday morning. Gusty winds will likely span a large portion of Florida, including inland areas, by Tuesday night. The heaviest impacts from Idalia will occur in the Tampa area northward through the Big Bend region and into parts of the Panhandle. Conditions in these areas will quickly deteriorate Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as landfall approaches.
A storm surge warning is in effect from Englewood, Florida, up to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay. Storm surge is a dangerous aspect of hurricanes and often the reason behind evacuations. The Florida Division of Emergency Management warns that storm surge can happen quickly and put lives and homes at risk. The National Hurricane Center director is particularly concerned about the predicted 8 to 12 feet of surge from Idalia. Mandatory and voluntary evacuations have already been issued for several Florida counties, with the expectation that more will follow.
In preparation for Idalia, Tampa International Airport will halt all commercial operations by 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and aims to reopen on Thursday morning after assessing the storm’s impact. The University of Florida, Florida State University, and Florida A&M University have canceled classes and closed campuses during the storm. Schools across the region have also canceled classes and activities. Georgia’s Governor has activated the State Operations Center in anticipation of Idalia’s arrival and reassured the public that the state is prepared.