<p>United States President Joe Biden on Thursday (August 31) announced that he will be visiting Florida on Saturday morning to interact with communities that have been ravaged by storm Idalia.<br />
<br />
Idalia, which has now turned into a tropical storm, inundated Florida's coastal communities before moving ahead on its destructive path to the southeastern US coast.</p>

<h2><strong>Residents survey hurricane damage</strong></h2>

<p>The people in Florida on Thursday (August 31) started to clean up after flooding and rain caused by storm Idalia, which had turned into a hurricane and wreaked havoc before it weakened and headed out to the sea.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/powerful-hurricane-idalia-pummels-florida-churns-on-to-georgia-630697">Idalia downgraded to tropical storm after slamming Florida</a></p>

<p>Idalia had travelled through the Sunshine State as a Category 3 storm, felling trees, flooding homes and breaking power lines before it barreled to the neighbouring states of Georgia and South and North Carolina.<br />
<br />
Dozens of water-damaged items were being cleared by Keith Randall from his home decor store in Crystal River town. "It hit us pretty good inside," said the 52-year-old, while speaking to AFP.<br />
<br />
"Anything on the floors got ruined. We are getting rid of all the cardboard that was in here. Lots of stuff was on the walls, but it's all good, it's just a lot of cleanup," he added.<br />
<br />
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that 40 people have been rescued so far. Earlier, thousands of Floridians were asked to evacuate the town. The main task lying ahead is clearing debris and assessing the damage.<br />
<br />
"There has been significant damage, particularly along Florida's Big Bend, but the community is resilient," DeSantis stated. Around 86,000 people in Georgia and 117,000 customers in Florida were without electricity on Thursday afternoon, as per tracking website PowerOutage.us.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: Hurricane Idalia Passes Over Carolinas | Georgia And Florida Deal With Aftermath</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-hurricane-idalia-passes-over-carolinas-georgia-and-florida-deal-with-aftermath-631006/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p><br />
DeSantis said that they have already restored 420,000 accounts. More than 1,000 emergency personnel were deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the disaster zone.<br />
<br />
"Idalia is the strongest storm... to make landfall in this part of Florida in over 100 years," said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
In North Carolina, tropical storm conditions were still being felt till Thursday afternoon, as per the US National Hurricane Center, as Idalia left the US mainland and moved towards the Atlantic.<br />
<br />
As per NHC, Idalia is likely to slow further while approaching Bermuda over the weekend, where residents have been asked to monitor its progress.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" data-gtm-yt-inspected-18="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-23="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-33="true" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="lazy" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=0" title="live tv" width="100%"></iframe></p>


United States President Joe Biden on Thursday (August 31) announced that he will be visiting Florida on Saturday morning to interact with communities that have been ravaged by storm Idalia.

United States President Joe Biden on Thursday (August 31) announced that he will be visiting Florida on Saturday morning to interact with communities that have been ravaged by storm Idalia. Idalia, which has now turned into a tropical storm, inundated Florida's coastal communities before moving ahead on its destructive path to the southeastern US coast. Residents survey hurricane damage The people in Florida on Thursday (August 31) started to clean up after flooding and rain caused by storm Idalia, which had turned into a hurricane and wreaked havoc before it weakened and headed out to the sea. ALSO READ | Idalia downgraded to tropical storm after slamming Florida Idalia had travelled through the Sunshine State as a Category 3 storm, felling trees, flooding homes and breaking power lines before it barreled to the neighbouring states of Georgia and South and North Carolina. Dozens of water-damaged items were being cleared by Keith Randall from his home decor store in Crystal River town. "It hit us pretty good inside," said the 52-year-old, while speaking to AFP. "Anything on the floors got ruined. We are getting rid of all the cardboard that was in here. Lots of stuff was on the walls, but it's all good, it's just a lot of cleanup," he added. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that 40 people have been rescued so far. Earlier, thousands of Floridians were asked to evacuate the town. The main task lying ahead is clearing debris and assessing the damage. "There has been significant damage, particularly along Florida's Big Bend, but the community is resilient," DeSantis stated. Around 86,000 people in Georgia and 117,000 customers in Florida were without electricity on Thursday afternoon, as per tracking website PowerOutage.us. WATCH | Gravitas: Hurricane Idalia Passes Over Carolinas | Georgia And Florida Deal With Aftermath DeSantis said that they have already restored 420,000 accounts. More than 1,000 emergency personnel were deployed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the disaster zone. "Idalia is the strongest storm... to make landfall in this part of Florida in over 100 years," said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on Wednesday. In North Carolina, tropical storm conditions were still being felt till Thursday afternoon, as per the US National Hurricane Center, as Idalia left the US mainland and moved towards the Atlantic. As per NHC, Idalia is likely to slow further while approaching Bermuda over the weekend, where residents have been asked to monitor its progress. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Biden to visit Idalia-hit Florida as people survey hurricane damage

<p>Hurricane Idalia has made landfall in the United States' Florida. The storm touched down in&nbsp;a sparsely populated section of Florida's swampy Big Bend coast at around 7:45 am (local time) on Wednesday (August 30th).</p>

<h2><strong>Toppled trees and more</strong></h2>

<p>It&nbsp;came with powerful 125 mph winds that toppled trees and push torrents of dark water onshore, flooding the small fishing villages that dot a vast swath of shoreline. Overnight, the storm was briefly considered a category 4 storm, but it was dropped back to category 3&nbsp;just before sunrise.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tropical-storm-idalia-to-strengthen-into-hurricane-and-make-landfall-in-florida-say-us-forecasters-630012">Tropical Storm Idalia to strengthen into hurricane and make landfall in Florida, say US forecasters</a></strong></p>

<p>Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the&nbsp;US National Hurricane Center warned that the "extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane Idalia" has made landfall in Florida. The US weather agency also reported ongoing "catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">7:45 AM EDT update: Extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a> makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 125 mph. Catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds ongoing. <a href="https://t.co/umMdj8dD5d">pic.twitter.com/umMdj8dD5d</a></p>
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1696852128911011922?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/flood-alerts-mass-evacuations-as-florida-gears-for-extremely-dangerous-hurricane-idalia-630360">Flood alerts, mass evacuations as Florida gears for 'extremely dangerous' Hurricane Idalia</a></strong></p>

<p>As per Reuters, a&nbsp;major Florida highway was flooded&nbsp;as Hurricane Idalia neared the state. The news agency reports that traffic camera images from the area showed the I-275 Interstate&nbsp;— which connects Tampa to the nearby city of St Petersburg across the Tampa Bay — flooded northbound as waves washed over the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa.</p>

<h2><strong>'Don't mess with this storm'</strong></h2>

<p>In an early morning press conference, Florida governor Ron DeSantis warned Florida residents to&nbsp;not put themselves in jeopardy and proceed with caution.</p>

<p>"Don't mess with this storm," said DeSantis, adding that "it's going to be a significant, significant impact".</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Governor Ron DeSantis Gives Update on Hurricane Idalia From Tallahassee Florida <a href="https://t.co/eeN2etJSvd">https://t.co/eeN2etJSvd</a></p>
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1696832869690425446?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Hurricane Idalia has made landfall in the United States' Florida. The storm touched down in a sparsely populated section of Florida's swampy Big Bend coast at around 7:45 am (local time) on Wednesday (August 30th).

Hurricane Idalia has made landfall in the United States' Florida. The storm touched down in a sparsely populated section of Florida's swampy Big Bend coast at around 7:45 am (local time) on Wednesday (August 30th). Toppled trees and more It came with powerful 125 mph winds that toppled trees and push torrents of dark water onshore, flooding the small fishing villages that dot a vast swath of shoreline. Overnight, the storm was briefly considered a category 4 storm, but it was dropped back to category 3 just before sunrise. Also read | Tropical Storm Idalia to strengthen into hurricane and make landfall in Florida, say US forecasters Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the US National Hurricane Center warned that the "extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane Idalia" has made landfall in Florida. The US weather agency also reported ongoing "catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds. 7:45 AM EDT update: Extremely dangerous Category 3 Hurricane #Idalia makes landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 125 mph. Catastrophic storm surge and damaging winds ongoing. pic.twitter.com/umMdj8dD5d — National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023 × Also read | Flood alerts, mass evacuations as Florida gears for 'extremely dangerous' Hurricane Idalia As per Reuters, a major Florida highway was flooded as Hurricane Idalia neared the state. The news agency reports that traffic camera images from the area showed the I-275 Interstate — which connects Tampa to the nearby city of St Petersburg across the Tampa Bay — flooded northbound as waves washed over the Howard Frankland Bridge in Tampa. 'Don't mess with this storm' In an early morning press conference, Florida governor Ron DeSantis warned Florida residents to not put themselves in jeopardy and proceed with caution. "Don't mess with this storm," said DeSantis, adding that "it's going to be a significant, significant impact". Governor Ron DeSantis Gives Update on Hurricane Idalia From Tallahassee Florida https://t.co/eeN2etJSvd — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 30, 2023 × (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Don't mess with this storm': Idalia makes landfall as Category 3 hurricane in Florida with 125 mph winds

<p>Western Cuba was lashed by tropical storm Idalia on Tuesday (August 29) and is likely to turn into a major hurricane as it moves towards the Gulf Coast in Florida, where evacuations have been ordered by the officials and residents have been appealed to start preparing for its expected landfall on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
Idalia was churning around 80 miles (130 km) off Cuba's western tip as it barreled north, carrying the maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (112 kph), said the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre in its latest advisory.<br />
<br />
The growing intensity of the storm and its northerly track has placed around 14 million Floridians under the threat of a hurricane, with warnings of tropical storm issued along the Gulf of Mexico.<br />
<br />
Authorities stated that the chief hazard that the storm would pose to human life would be the increased height of seawater which may be driven into inundating low-lying coastal areas by high winds.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong><a href="Tropical Storm Idalia to strengthen into hurricane and make landfall in Florida, say US forecasters"><strong>&nbsp;</strong>Tropical Storm Idalia to strengthen into hurricane and make landfall in Florida, say US forecasters</a></p>

<p>Storm surge warnings were put up across hundreds of miles of Gulf Coast shoreline, starting from the Sarasota area north through Tampa and leading to the sport-fishing haven of Indian Pass at the western end of Apalachicola Bay.<br />
<br />
"Buckle up for this one," said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in a press conference on Monday afternoon, adding that he had already discussed the situation with director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deanne Criswell and US President Joe Biden.<br />
<br />
"Do what you got to do. You still have time today. You have time for most of tomorrow," he added, appealing to Floridians to fully prepare for the dangerous situation ahead.</p>

<h2><strong>Cubans rush to evacuate coastal towns</strong></h2>

<p>Cubans hurriedly evacuated coastal towns, tied down fishing boats and emptied batten-down homes as Idalia reached the western end of the island on Monday.<br />
<br />
The small fishing village of Guanimar was swamped by chocolate-brown floodwaters by mid-afternoon.<br />
<br />
Residents were carried to higher grounds using decades-old buses, which had missing windows and floorboards, as winds howled and rattled the tin roofs of the houses and slammed fishing boats stranded in the mangroves.<br />
<br />
"We've had two days of rain already," stated resident Yadira Alvarez, 34, as she made preparations for evacuating her five children. "We try to prepare, but no matter what we do everything will be soaked,” she added.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Hurricane Hilary reduced from category 4 to category 2 storm</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hurricane-hilary-reduced-from-category-4-to-category-2-storm-627148/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2><strong>Mandatory evacuations in multiple Florida counties</strong></h2>

<p>Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were issued in multiple counties of Florida on Monday morning, which DeSantis stated is likely to expand. “There are going to be evacuation orders issued in all these Gulf Coast counties in the A and B zones (and) all the barrier islands places that are low-lying on the coast,” DeSantis stated.<br />
<br />
The government ordered mandatory evacuations for Pasco, Manatee, Hernando, Taylor, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and Citrus counties for vulnerable structures and low-lying coastal areas. The evacuation orders issued in Hillsborough County also included parts of the Tampa area.<br />
<br />
“If and when the Governor issues an evacuation order, that means your life is in danger, hear those warnings,” warned Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for&nbsp;wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" data-gtm-yt-inspected-20="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-26="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-32="true" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="lazy" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=0" title="live tv" width="100%"></iframe></p>


Western Cuba was lashed by tropical storm Idalia on Tuesday (August 29) and is likely to turn into a major hurricane as it moves towards the Gulf Coast in Florida, where evacuations have been ordered by the officials and residents have been appealed to start preparing for its expected landfall on Wednesday.

Western Cuba was lashed by tropical storm Idalia on Tuesday (August 29) and is likely to turn into a major hurricane as it moves towards the Gulf Coast in Florida, where evacuations have been ordered by the officials and residents have been appealed to start preparing for its expected landfall on Wednesday. Idalia was churning around 80 miles (130 km) off Cuba's western tip as it barreled north, carrying the maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (112 kph), said the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre in its latest advisory. The growing intensity of the storm and its northerly track has placed around 14 million Floridians under the threat of a hurricane, with warnings of tropical storm issued along the Gulf of Mexico. Authorities stated that the chief hazard that the storm would pose to human life would be the increased height of seawater which may be driven into inundating low-lying coastal areas by high winds. ALSO READ | Tropical Storm Idalia to strengthen into hurricane and make landfall in Florida, say US forecasters Storm surge warnings were put up across hundreds of miles of Gulf Coast shoreline, starting from the Sarasota area north through Tampa and leading to the sport-fishing haven of Indian Pass at the western end of Apalachicola Bay. "Buckle up for this one," said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in a press conference on Monday afternoon, adding that he had already discussed the situation with director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Deanne Criswell and US President Joe Biden. "Do what you got to do. You still have time today. You have time for most of tomorrow," he added, appealing to Floridians to fully prepare for the dangerous situation ahead. Cubans rush to evacuate coastal towns Cubans hurriedly evacuated coastal towns, tied down fishing boats and emptied batten-down homes as Idalia reached the western end of the island on Monday. The small fishing village of Guanimar was swamped by chocolate-brown floodwaters by mid-afternoon. Residents were carried to higher grounds using decades-old buses, which had missing windows and floorboards, as winds howled and rattled the tin roofs of the houses and slammed fishing boats stranded in the mangroves. "We've had two days of rain already," stated resident Yadira Alvarez, 34, as she made preparations for evacuating her five children. "We try to prepare, but no matter what we do everything will be soaked,” she added. WATCH | Hurricane Hilary reduced from category 4 to category 2 storm Mandatory evacuations in multiple Florida counties Voluntary and mandatory evacuations were issued in multiple counties of Florida on Monday morning, which DeSantis stated is likely to expand. “There are going to be evacuation orders issued in all these Gulf Coast counties in the A and B zones (and) all the barrier islands places that are low-lying on the coast,” DeSantis stated. The government ordered mandatory evacuations for Pasco, Manatee, Hernando, Taylor, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and Citrus counties for vulnerable structures and low-lying coastal areas. The evacuation orders issued in Hillsborough County also included parts of the Tampa area. “If and when the Governor issues an evacuation order, that means your life is in danger, hear those warnings,” warned Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Storm Idalia lashes western Cuba as it intensifies into major hurricane

storm-idalia

Storm Idalia, News on Storm Idalia, stories on Storm Idalia, articles on Storm Idalia, Storm Idalia stories at Wion, Storm Idalia news, Storm Idalia latest news

storm idalia

Biden to visit Idalia-hit Florida as people survey hurricane damage

'Don't mess with this storm': Idalia makes landfall as Category 3 hurricane in Florida with 125 mph winds

Storm Idalia lashes western Cuba as it intensifies into major hurricane