Idalia reached northwestern Florida, the so-called Big Bend region, early Wednesday morning as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of over 200 kilometers per hour.
The hurricane flooded the coastal area north of Tampa with waves several meters high, flooding homes.
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Gallery: Images of the devastation caused by Hurricane Adalia have been released, and are fit for a disaster moviePhoto: Joe Ridel/Getty Images Hungary
Due to the mandatory evacuation, there were no residents in the worst affected areas. Among those who had to leave their homes, several thousand took shelter from the storm in temporary Red Cross shelters in the area.
Because of the storm, many bridges were closed, so it became difficult to get to many coastal settlements, including St. Petersburg. MTI reported that highways and internal roads were rendered unusable due to flooding and falling trees.
Residents evacuated due to Hurricane Adalia
On Wednesday morning, according to official data, power was cut off for 275,000 people in Florida, while service was cut off for 61,000 consumers in Georgia. There was an area where the authorities shut down the network as a precaution due to flooding. Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, also experienced widespread power outages due to the storm.
A post-Idalia damage assessment and wreck cleanup in Florida has already begun. Displaced residents have been warned not to return to their homes for now.
Meanwhile, Idalia also reached the southern part of Georgia, where it gradually weakened as a Category 2 hurricane and moved northeast toward South Carolina.
On Wednesday, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency urged residents in both states to be careful because the storm’s rains could lead to “catastrophic” flooding.
Hurricane Adalia was described by the US Weather Service as an “unprecedented event” since the beginning of meteorological records in 1851. Northwest Florida had never been hit by such a powerful Category 3 or 4 hurricane.
The storm zone was the first major storm of this year’s hurricane season in Florida, where Hurricane Ian caused massive damage last September, razing some coastal communities almost to the ground.
Joe Biden blamed the hurricane’s devastation on the climate crisis
US President Joe Biden, Wednesday, spoke of immediate action in storm-affected states. “No one can deny the effects of the climate crisis,” he stressed. CNN.
Just look around! Historic floods, more severe droughts, sweltering heat, and wildfires have caused massive damage like we’ve never seen before.
He said
And Joe Biden said he would give all the resources to the states to repair the damage.
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