Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave Tuesday as Hurricane Idalia gained steam in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and threatened to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall. Idalia had strengthened to a Category 2 system on Tuesday afternoon, with winds strengthening to 105 mph by Tuesday evening. The hurricane was projected to come ashore early Wednesday as a Category 3 system with sustained winds of up to 120 mph in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula, the AP reports.
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. Maps and projections can be seen at Weather.com and the NOAA. A list of evacuation orders by county can be seen here.
- On the island of Cedar Key, Commissioner Sue Colson joined other city officials in packing up documents and electronics at City Hall. She had a message for the almost 900 residents who were under mandatory orders to evacuate. More than a dozen state troopers went door to door warning residents that storm surge could rise as high as 15 feet. "One word: Leave," Colson said. "It's not something to discuss."
- Gov. Ron DeSantis repeated the warning at an afternoon news conference. "You really gotta go now. Now is the time," he said. Earlier, the governor stressed that residents didn't necessarily need to leave the state, but should "get to higher ground in a safe structure." "You can ride the storm out there, then go back to your home," he said.
- With a large stretch of Florida's western coast at risk for storm surges and floods, evacuation notices were issued in 22 counties, with mandatory orders for some people in eight of those counties. Many of the notices were for low-lying and coastal areas and for people living in mobile and manufactured homes, recreational vehicles or boats, and for people who would be vulnerable in a power outage.
- Many school districts along the Gulf Coast were to be closed through at least Wednesday. Several colleges and universities also closed, including the University of Florida in Gainesville. Florida State University in Tallahassee said its campus would be closed through Friday.
- Floridians viewed Idalia's name with some concern since 13 Atlantic storm names beginning with "I" have been retired since 1955, according to the National Weather Service. That happens when a storm's death toll or destruction is so severe that using its name again would be insensitive. Another concern was the presence of a rare blue supermoon, which can cause higher-than-normal tides.
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