Florida braces for ‘life-threatening’ hurricane

Friday, 29 Aug, 2023 0

Tropical storm Idalia has officially become a Florida hurricane.

It intensified en route toward Florida’s Gulf coast, and could make landfall early Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center issued warnings of life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds in an area including Tampa Bay.

NHC predicts wind speeds of 80-120 mph as it approaches Florida.

A storm watch was also in effect for the lower Florida Keys.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency across 46 counties, covering the northern half of the state coast to coast.

The National Guard has been mobilized and the White house has released emergency funding.

The Florida hurricane is grounding flights with Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport set to close today.

The Sunrail commuter rail service in Orlando is suspended.

DeSantis warned Idalia could become a Category 3 hurricane.

DeSantis said tolls on highways in the Tampa area will be waived to help motorists flee affected areas in time.

Evacuation notices have been issued in parts of 21 counties with mandatory orders in eight counties.

These are mostly low-lying areas near the coast.

below social share icons

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

Since its launch in 1999, TravelMole.com has become, one of the largest global online travel industry communities. It is comprised...

IHG Hotels & Resorts: Redefining Hospitality Excellence IHG Hotels & Resorts is a globally renowned hospitality company that stands at...

Jet2.com is the UK’s third largest airline, flying from ten UK airports to more than 60 destinations across Europe and beyond....

The State of Michigan is blessed with the riches of unspoiled nature: the nation’s longest freshwater coastline, lakes that feel like...

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors’ experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools...

Located in the Mediterranean and connecting Asia and European continents that are separated by the famous Bosphorus, Türkiye is a...

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 93 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives,...

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...

It’s easy to find perfection in Santa Barbara, but what if there was even more of your favorite finds, activities,...

Destination British Columbia (Destination BC) is a Provincially funded, industry-led Crown corporation that supports a strong and competitive future for BC’s...

In 2019, Buffalo Tours and Olympus Tours joined the Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) family and formed Discova. With the...

Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world’s most amazing places...

Blue Diamond Resorts consistently goes above and beyond guest expectations by delivering groundbreaking vacation experiences through our exceptional collection of...