The heavy rain brought by Idalia has already hit Cuba and is reported to have forced about 8,000 residents of the province of Pinar del Rio to leave their homes to seek shelter.
Now Idalia is on its way to Florida, where hurricane-force winds are expected to begin affecting late Tuesday. Idalia is then expected to move in over the state’s west coast on Wednesday.
Hurricane warning in the north
Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 46 of the state’s 67 counties, according to media in the United States. He warned that the storm’s impact could be large and pointed out that Idalia could be upgraded to a category three on the five-point hurricane scale.
Much of Florida’s west coast is at risk of storm surge and flooding, and warnings have been issued in several areas. In Pasco and Levy, north of Tampa, residents have been ordered to evacuate. US Hurricane Center The NHC has issued a hurricane warningwhich means that there could be life-threatening conditions for the northern parts of the west coast.
Tampa International Airport and Saint Pete-Clearwater Airport will be closed on Tuesday.
Even stronger Franklin
Many schools, colleges and universities in the areas expected to be affected are also closed again.
Idalia is the first storm to hit Florida this year’s hurricane season. At the same time, an even stronger hurricane, named Franklin, towers over the east of the United States. It is an almost unique situation with two such big storms at the same time so early in the season.
However, Franklin is not nearly the same danger to society at large, as it is heading northeast – the first major landmass it hits is Iceland this weekend, and then in a weakened form. But the NHC still warns of strong winds and currents on the edge of the hurricane along the east coast of the United States and Canada during the week.