Florida Governor has asked the residents to not do anything “dumb” and find a safe place. “This thing’s powerful. If you’re inside, just hunker down until it gets past you. Don’t put your life at risk by doing anything dumb at this point,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

When Hurricane Idalia hits the Florida coast, it is expected to bring forth sea water gushing through and trigger blackouts. It’s expected to make landfall Wednesday morning local time, then move along the coast of the Southeast US. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 25 miles (40.2 km per hour) from the center.

“While Idalia should weaken after landfall, it is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and near the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today,” the hurricane center said.

Tampa International Airport has been shut as Hurricane Idalia grows into strength to become a severe storm. More than 500 flights in and out of Florida airports have been cancelled, according to data from FlightAware. Almost 100 were cancelled to and from Atlanta, a major US transportation hub. 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 46 Florida counties. He has also warned that the storm could knock down power lines and trees. “You are going to see a lot of debris. It will knock down trees, it will knock down power lines,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said.

In view of the destruction that Hurricane Idalia could cause, the authorities have mobilised 5,500 National Guard members and 30,000 to 40,000 electricity workers to restore the power lines as soon as the storm passes through.

(With agency inputs)

Updated: 30 Aug 2023, 05:57 PM IST