MIAMI, FL – Tropical Storm Idalia formed off the coast of Mexico on Sunday and has the potential to become a hurricane in the southern United States, the National Hurricane Center said.
About 95 miles (153 kilometers) east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, the storm was moving northeast at 3 mph (4.8 kph) at 5 p.m. Sunday, with top sustained winds of 40 mph (64 km/h). Hurricanes have winds of 74 mph (119 km/h) and above.
Forecasters said they expect Idalia to become a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday before turning northeast toward Florida’s west coast.
Idalia could approach Florida on Wednesday with winds of up to 100 mph (160 kph), according to the Hurricane Center’s latest forecast. That would make it a Category 2 hurricane.
Along a swath of Florida’s west coast, up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) of water could rush ashore, sparking fears of damaging flooding.
At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that there is still a lot of uncertainty in the forecast.
“The thing hasn’t made it to Cuba yet, and the water in the Gulf is very, very warm, so that’s going to give the thing some fuel to pick up the pace,” DeSantis said.
As a tropical storm or hurricane looms, much of Florida’s west coast is at risk of seawater flooding onto land and inundating communities. National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rome said Sunday that this area of Florida is very vulnerable to storm surge.
“So it doesn’t take a powerful system or a direct strike to generate a severe storm surge,” he said. “So if you’re anywhere on the Florida peninsula, anywhere west of the Florida peninsula, let’s say from Fort Myers up north into the Panhandle, you really have to pay attention.”
Captain AJ Brown, a fishing guide who runs AJ Brown Charters, said storm surge is one of the biggest concerns in the fishing village of Cedar Key, which juts out into the Gulf of Mexico. The concern is that if the storm hits northern Florida, Cedar Key will be impacted by powerful surges from the storm’s southeastern flank.
Brown said Cedar Island is concerned that the storm surge could reach two to five feet of water, and if the storm surge reaches five feet, “it will cover most of the downtown area.”
Shannon Dunnan, assistant manager at the popular Bridge Tender Inn in Bradenton Beach, said Sunday that a large tent that covered the tiki bar area where the musicians played may need to be removed in preparation for “Idalia.”
“If there’s a big storm, the tent could be ripped in two,” she said.
But Dunnan said the plan for now is to keep the facility open.
Mexico’s National Weather Service warned on Sunday of heavy rain and winds of up to 55 mph (89 kph) on the Yucatan Peninsula.
The storm could cause everything from huge waves to flooding in southern Mexico, mainly around the coastal cities of Yucatan and Quintana Roo, the report said. It requires citizens to be vigilant.
Florida emergency officials on Sunday urged residents to keep their vehicle gas tanks at least half full in case they needed to evacuate.
“This will ensure you can evacuate to a safe location dozens of miles inland if needed,” Florida’s Department of Emergency Management said on social media.
Florida has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members, “with 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft available for rescue and recovery efforts,” said Republican Gov. DeSantis, the Republican candidate. Presidential nomination.
“If you’re in the path of this storm, you should expect power outages,” he added. “So be prepared, especially if this storm ends up in the Tallahassee area, a lot of trees are going to be knocked down.” , the wires are going to be pushed down — it’s going to happen, so just be prepared for that and be able to do what you need to do.”
Florida’s emergency management agency said 33 Florida counties had declared a state of emergency.
The U.S. East Coast has not been hit by a hurricane so far this year. But in the west, Tropical Storm Hillary caused widespread flooding, mudslides and road closures in Mexico, California, Nevada and northern regions earlier this month.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently said the 2023 hurricane season will be busier than initially predicted, in part due to extremely warm ocean temperatures. The season runs until November 30th, with August and September usually being the peak months.
