US: Hurricane Idalia Hits Florida Coast As 'Category 2' Storm, 4,500 People Moved To Shelters — Top Points

Hurricane Idalia had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph with higher gusts, making it a Category 2 storm after it made landfall in Florida's Big Bend.

A girl wades through flood waters after having to evacuate her house in the wake of Hurricane Idalia.

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New Delhi: Hurricane Idalia intensified into a ‘Category 4’ storm before slightly weakening as it made landfall along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend near Keaton Beach on Wednesday, the US National Hurricane Centre said, as reported by CNN. According to officials of the weather office, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 110 mph with higher gusts, making it a Category 2 hurricane after it made landfall. Earlier it was expected to bring “catastrophic storm surge” with maximum sustained winds of 130 miles per hour.

“Additional strengthening is forecast, and Idalia is forecast to become a category 4 hurricane before it reaches the Big Bend coast of Florida this morning. Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today,” the National Hurricane Centre had earlier said.

Here are the key developments:

• Residents along Alafia River in Florida's Hillsborough County is likely to experience flooding in wake of the hurricane, CNN quoted the county officials as saying. "Residents can expect 4 to 6.5 feet of water from the Gulf of Mexico to affect coastal areas," the officials had said.
• As per an automated weather station at Perry Airport, the storm had sustained wind of 62 mph with a gust of 85 mph over the last hour, CNN reported. “Catastrophic storm surge (is) occurring along the coast of the Florida Big Bend and damaging winds (are) spreading inland over northern Florida,” the weather station said.
• Over 4,500 people impacted by the hurricane have taken refuge at Red Cross shelters. The Red Cross is currently operating over 100 shelters in the path of Hurricane Idalia, CNN reported.
• Several locations along Florida's Gulf Coast have reported record water levels in the light of the storm. Cedar Key recorded water level of 6.8 feet above the highest tides, breaking the previous record of 5.99-foot during Hurricane Hermine in September 2016, CNN reported. East Bay Tampa saw water level surging to 4.51 feet above highest tides, breaching previous record of 3.79 feet during Tropical Storm Eta in 2020.
• Currently, 2,32,064 people have reported power outages along Florida’s western Big Bend region, according to CNN.