Tropical Storm Idalia grew in strength, so much so that now Florida is bracing for a major hurricane.
What we know: Forecasters warn that the storm will likely become a major hurricane striking the the Tampa Bay region and the eastern Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, and it could unleash “a life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds,” according to the National Hurricane Center.
How Florida is responding: Mandatory and voluntary evacuations began in at least three counties along Florida’s Gulf Coast “with less than 48 hours before the storm makes landfall,” CNN reported.
Gov. Ron DeSantis placed 46 counties under a state of emergency in Florida, according to NPR, and is mobilizing 1,100 members of the Florida National Guard to prepare for the storm.
“This is gonna be a major hurricane. This is gonna be a powerful hurricane, and this is absolutely gonna impact the state of Florida in many, many different ways,” DeSantis warned Monday morning during a news conference, cautioning Floridians to be prepared for a Category 3 or higher storm, per NPR.
The storm will likely batter western Cuba late Monday and move north, per NPR.
Why Idalia will likely gain strength: There are two things forecasters are predicting could make the storm more powerful. Those two reasons, according to The Washington Post, include:
- Water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico are “several degrees above average and in record territory, which fuel intensification.”
- An incoming drop in the “jet stream over the eastern United States will effectively evacuate ‘exhaust’ air at high altitudes away from Idalia, allowing it to ingest more warm, humid air from below and continue to strengthen.”