Idalia roared across Florida Wednesday as a dangerous and powerful hurricane, bringing potentially catastrophic storm surge to coastal communities and knocking out power to thousands as the storm swept through the southeastern United States.
As it barreled into neighboring Georgia, Idalia weakened to a tropical storm that nevertheless was drenching the region with up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain and bringing life-threatening inundations from rising water moving inland, officials said.
They described Idalia and its potentially deadly high-surging waters as a once-in-a-lifetime event for the area of northwest Florida most affected.
While there were no immediately confirmed deaths, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stressed “that very well may change,” given the storm’s magnitude.
State officials said first responders including search and rescue teams were operational, but warned it could take time to reach more remote areas blocked by fallen trees or high water.
Idalia struck as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 hurricane in Florida’s marshy, sparsely populated Big Bend area around 7:45 am (1145 GMT), the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.বিস্তারিত