Idalia is expected to bring 'life-threatening and catastrophic storm surge flooding' to the Florida coast.
on Wednesday morning, according to The Weather Channel, which is urging locals to obey evacuation instructions that"may save your life."
Idalia was a Category 3 hurricane at 2 a.m. EDT but is"forecast to become a Category 4 hurricane before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida" later this morning by the National Hurricane Center. This means it will have sustained wind speeds of 130-156 miles per hour, with"catastrophic damage" expected.
In a report broadcast late on Tuesday, The Weather Channel used CGI to show the potential impact of the hurricane, with the first floors of buildings submerged. The reporter said:"As extremely dangerous Hurricane Idalia closes in on the north Florida coast, expect life-threatening and catastrophic storm surge flooding.", to warn that the storm surges could reach 15 feet on Wednesday.
People board up a window in Tampa, Florida, on August 29 as the city prepares for Hurricane Idalia. It is forecast to become a Category 4 storm.The Weather Channel's CGI footage showed a street being flooded, with water levels reaching"up to 9 feet" while vehicles were submerged or swept away. The reporter said:"Now let me show you what that looks like as we bring the water up, how quickly it rises as it typically does during storm surge and you can see above 9 feet of water, way above my head, truly unsurvivable. And it's exactly why we remind you to follow the evacuation advice from the local officials and monitor the latest updates to the forecast from the National Hurricane Center.
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