Florida declares widespread state of emergency ahead of expected hurricane
Tropical Storm Idalia has already thrashed Cuba with heavy rain.
Florida residents are loading up on sandbags and evacuating homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Idalia intensifies, with forecasters predicting it will hit in days as a major hurricane.
Idalia earlier thrashed Cuba with heavy rain, especially in the western of the island, where the tobacco-producing province of Pinar del Rio is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian almost a year ago.
Idalia is expected to start affecting Florida with hurricane-force winds as soon as late on Tuesday and arrive on the coast by Wednesday.
It is the first storm to hit Florida this hurricane season and a potentially big blow to the state, which is also dealing with lingering damage from Hurricane Ian.
Idalia is the latest in a summer of natural disasters, including wildfires in Hawaii, Canada and Greece, the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years, and devastating flooding in Vermont.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 46 counties, a broad area that stretches across the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast.
The state has mobilised 1,100 National Guard members, who have 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft for rescue and recovery efforts.
Tampa International Airport and St Pete-Clearwater International Airport said they would close on Tuesday, and the Sunrail commuter rail service in Orlando was being suspended.
Mr DeSantis warned of a “major impact” to the state, noting the potential for Idalia to become a Category 3 hurricane.
“The property — we can rebuild someone’s home,” he said during a news conference on Monday. “You can’t unring the bell, though, if somebody stays in harm’s way and does battle with Mother Nature.”
Large parts of the western coast are at risk of storm surges and floods. Pasco and Levy counties, north of Tampa, ordered mandatory evacuations for some residents. In Levy County, officials said residents of Cedar Key must be off the island by Tuesday evening because storm surges would make bridges impassable.
“Once the storm surge comes in, help may not be available to reach you,” the county said in a public advisory.
The National Hurricane Centre in Miami issued a hurricane warning on Monday from Longboat Key in the Sarasota area to the Holocene River, up past Tampa Bay.
President Joe Biden spoke to Mr DeSantis on Monday morning, telling the Florida governor he had approved an emergency declaration for the state, the White House said in a news release.
South-west Florida is still recovering from Hurricane Ian, which was responsible last year for almost 150 deaths. The Category 5 hurricane damaged 52,000 structures, nearly 20,000 of which were destroyed or severely damaged.
