Idalia emerges as threat to Florida with potential as category 3 hurricane

The National Weather Service warned on Monday that Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to intensify into a major category 3 hurricane by Wednesday.

As of 8 a.m. E.D.T. on Monday, Idalia was about 90 miles south of the western tip of Cuba and was expected to become a hurricane as it approached the coast of Cuba.

Idalia had sustained maximum winds of 65 mph and was moving north. While the track of the hurricane remained the same, the expected intensity has increased.

A storm is classified as a hurricane when its maximum sustained winds reach 74 mph. It is a Category 3 hurricane if maximum sustained winds are at 111 mph. It is a tropical storm once it reaches 39 mph. 

The NWS warned of a “life threatening storm surge” paired with “heavy rainfall and strong winds” that “remains a possibility for the west coast of Florida.

A hurricane warning, meaning hurricane conditions were expected in the next 12-24 hours, was in effect for the Cuban province of Pinar del Rio. Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including Cozumel; for the isle of Youth Cuba; and for Dry Tortugas, Florida – about 68 miles west of Key West. 

A storm surge watch, meaning life-threatening inundation from rising coastal water was possible in the next 48 hours, is in effect for Chokoloskee to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay. A hurricane watch is in effect for Englewood to Indian Pass Florida, including Tampa Bay. A tropical storm watch is in effect for south of Englewood to Chokoloskee Florida and for the lower Florida Keys, west of the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge. 

At a Sunday briefing, The Associated Press reported, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said there was still much uncertainty about the storm.

“This thing hasn’t even gotten to Cuba yet, and the water in the Gulf is very, very warm and so that will provide some fuel for this thing to pick up some more speed,” he reportedly said. He also said Sunday that Florida had mobilized 1,100 National Guard members, who had 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft “for rescue and recovery efforts” at their disposal.

“If you are in the path of this storm, you should expect power outages,” DeSantis added, the AP reported. “So please prepare for that, particularly if this storm ends up coming in the Tallahassee region, there’s a lot trees that are going to get knocked down, the power lines are going to get knocked down – that is just going to happen, so just be prepared for that and be able to do what you need to do.”

Florida’s Division of Emergency Management on Monday morning said its state emergency operations center was activated to a “level 1" in response to Idalia.

“During this full-scale activation, @FLSERT is fully staffed by Division personnel & all 20 Emergency Support Functions,” the division posted on Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.