Hurricane Idalia has powerfully swept across the state of Florida. Now that the storm has abated in strength, the authorities are trying to create a picture of what the storm has caused.
– There have been reports that buildings have been washed away by the masses of water, says Tomas Kvarnkullen, TV4 Nyheternas broadcaster.
The dreaded Hurricane Idalia swept across the Gulf Coast in the state of Florida on Wednesday with a Category Three force on a five-point scale.
The hurricane then upgraded to category four and caused widespread flooding and devastation. Over 330,000 households were without power in the states of Florida and Georgia.
American media reports that two people have died in weather-related traffic accidents.
– There have been sharp calls from authorities for several days that the residents of Florida may be part of something they have never been part of before, says Tomas Kvarnkullen.
Worst hit is the northwest area of Florida, which had wind speeds of up to 50 meters per second. The limit for the hurricane is 33 meters per second.
“Immense flows of water”
During Wednesday evening, the hurricane was downgraded to category one. The authorities are currently trying to get an overview of how much damage the storm has caused.
– It is already known that there are enormous water flows in certain locations along Florida’s west coast. There have also been reports that buildings have been washed away by the masses of water.
In several counties, people have evacuated ahead of the hurricane’s arrival, the authorities have been clear in their calls these days, says Tomas Kvarnkullen.
– Above all, it has been said that the type of storm surge that has been expected would be difficult to survive in. But there are people who have stayed and who believe that they have been through this before and therefore know how to deal with it , he says.