US: 100-year-old oak tree falls on Florida governor's mansion as Hurricane Idalia strikes

As Hurricane Idalia reached Tallahassee, Florida, a 100-year-old oak tree fell on the governor's mansion.

Casey DeSantis, the state's first lady and wife of Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis, was inside the house with their three children, Madison, Mason, and Mamie, when the tree fell. However, no one was injured during the incident. She posted a picture of the giant fallen tree that had split through the trunk on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm."

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The original mansion, built in 1907, is located a few blocks away from the Florida State Capitol. After it became structurally unsound, it was rebuilt in 1955. Designed by Palm Beach architect Sims Wyeth, the Greek Revival-style mansion is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Florida governor, a Republican party candidate for president, moved into the mansion with his family in 2019.

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During the storm, he gave regular news conferences from Tallahassee and said he was informed about the tree's collapse.

On Wednesday, the storm moved on from Florida to Georgia. However, the storm's bands were still affecting the northern region of the state. Authorities were expecting the floods to worsen as the tide rose, and thousands of people were out of power.

People in 28 Florida counties were either ordered or advised to evacuate ahead of Idalia, particularly along the Gulf Coast in places most vulnerable to the storm's heavy flooding.

The Category 3 hurricane made landfall Wednesday morning near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend area, where the Florida peninsula meets the panhandle. Tallahassee is around 90 minutes away from Keaton Beach.

Storm surge in certain regions was forecast to reach 12 to 16 feet, according to the National Hurricane Centre. Videos and photographs showed rapid floodwaters rising in coastal communities.

Tallahassee, in the state's northwestern corner, is not an evacuation zone. The storm, on the other hand, went over that region, inflicting damage. The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued a flash flood warning for Valdosta, Remerton, and Dasher, Georgia. Tallahassee also issued a warning about power outages that might disrupt traffic lights.

Wind gusts of up to 35 mph were predicted for Tallahassee throughout the storm. The National Weather Service warned of the possibility of damage and even impassable roadways due to fallen trees and debris.

(With inputs from agencies)

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