Florida prepares for the landfall of Hurricane Idalia

Florida Public Works and Hurricane Preparedness for the Idalia Tropical Storm: A Brief Briefing by US President Biden and Secretary of State Ron DeSantis

Idalia will move through the Gulf of Mexico and strengthen into a powerful Hurricane before coming to haunt Florida this week, according to forecasters.

The tropical storm system churning in the waters east of Cancún, Mexico, is expected to batter western Cuba late Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A number of Florida school districts had already announced closures on Tuesday, and the state’s Department of Health was working to ensure residents could fill their prescriptions early.

During his press conference, he said that there would likely be orders to evacuate counties along the Gulf Coast.

“All the barrier islands, places that are low-lying along the coast, you are going to be told to evacuate,” DeSantis said, adding that that could mean relocating as few as tens of miles inland.

The White House said President Biden and DeSantis spoke on Monday about storm preparations and that Biden had approved an emergency declaration for Florida.

In a briefing, the governor warned Floridians to be prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Idalia.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has put 46 counties under a state of emergency and announced a raft of other storm preparedness measures, including the mobilization of 1,100 Florida National Guard personnel.

Idalia’s Rapid Intensification: State and Local Authorities Are urging Residents to Be Prepared for the Very High Wind Speed Storm

Idalia has increased its speed by 40 mph. That qualifies as a “rapid intensification” which the NHC defines as an increase in the maximum sustained winds of at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period. Such a rapid increase in wind speed used to be a rarity, but is happening more frequently, in part, because of climate change.

Even as the storm moves north through the Gulf of Mexico, local officials are warning residents to remain vigilant. The worst of the storm surge could happen well after the storm has passed, which is why the city leaders are warning.

Florida officials are asking residents along the Gulf Coast to complete their storm preparations by Tuesday to be safe before Idalia makes it to the state Wednesday morning.

The rain is expected to be heaviest near where the storm arrives in Florida, but the rest of the state as well as Georgia and the Carolinas will not get much of a soaking. Tornadoes in those states are also possible.

The National Weather Service said the area could see life-threatening winds, with the possibility of structural damage to buildings and even the complete destruction of mobile homes.

The forecast expects the eye of Idalia to chart a course towards Florida’s Big Bend. Since 1858, no major hurricanes have tracked into the region’s Apalachee Bay.

It’s possible for evacuees to go tens of miles inland to a shelter, hotel or the home of friends or family if needed to escape the storm surge.

Florida’s emergency management chief, Kevin Guthrie, also urged people who are forced to evacuate to bring comfort items for their children, such as their favorite toys or snacks, and not to leave pets behind.

“We are going to experience historical flood surge up into the Big Bend area,” said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. “This is nothing to be messing around with.”

The Big Bend is a low-lying and rural area with quaint fishing villages and small beach communities.

Weather-Powered Hurricanes Fueled by Trade Winds in the Tropical Atlantic and the Caribbean Seas, says M. D. Knabb

In general, climate change is dramatically warming the world’s oceans, providing fuel for extra-powerful hurricanes. Trade winds have been slow recently in the tropical Atlantic and across the Caribbean. The winds would carry the cooler waters. The waters in the Caribbean and around Florida have been heating up like a pot on slow boil with less upwelling. “All of that has been festering for weeks and weeks,” Knabb says. The waters are being used to fuel the storm.