Hurricane Idalia Tracker Maps Show Path of Life-Threatening Storm

Hurricane Idalia is projected to hit Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday, threatening to unleash a “catastrophic” storm surge.

At 1 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Idalia was about 100 miles southwest of Cedar Key and 175 miles south of Tallahassee, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its latest advisory. It was moving north at 15 miles per hour.

Idalia is packing sustained winds near 120 mph after growing to a Category 3 storm on Tuesday. It was projected to come ashore early Wednesday in the Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of at least 130 mph.

According to the Hurricane Center, “catastrophic damage will occur” during a Category 4 storm.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee called Idalia “an unprecedented event” since no major hurricanes on record have ever passed through Apalachee Bay.

Forecasters have warned of “catastrophic storm surge and destructive winds” when Idalia makes landfall. Idalia is likely still to be a hurricane when it moves across southern Georgia and reaches the Carolinas, possibly as soon as late Wednesday, the Hurricane Center said.

With a large stretch of Florida’s Gulf coast at risk of storm surges of up to 16 feet and flooding, Florida residents living in low-lying coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave.

Evacuation orders were issued in at least 30 counties in western and central Florida, with mandatory orders for some people in 18 of those counties.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said those under evacuation orders needed to leave by late Tuesday.

“If you are under an evacuation order, now is the time to leave,” DeSantis said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday evening.

“You still have a couple hours to pack up and get on the road before conditions deteriorate, but by late tonight you will need to hunker down and stay in place. If you choose to stay, first responders will not be able to get to you until after the storm has passed.”

Earlier, DeSantis said residents didn’t necessarily need to leave the state, but should “get to higher ground in a safe structure.”

Tolls were waived on highways out of the danger area, shelters were open and hotels ready to take in evacuees. Uber is offering free transportation to shelters in counties in Idalia’s path.

About 5,500 National Guard troops were activated, with 2,400 high-water vehicles and 14 aircraft at their disposal for rescue and recovery efforts.

Many school districts along the Gulf Coast have closed through at least Wednesday, while several colleges and universities also closed. Two of the region’s biggest airports stopped commercial operations.

President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida on Monday.

“This allows me to pre-stage people, equipment, and resources in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, and I have done just that,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell told reporters during a White House briefing on Tuesday.