Photo Courtesy: National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to head north through the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall along Florida’s Big Bend region, Floridians are skeptical as to whether or not Tropical Storm Idalia will make its way toward the Northwestern part of Florida or take a different approach like Hurricane Ian.
On Sep. 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall in the southwestern region of Florida as a Category 4 storm leaving thousands of homes destroyed, about 400,000 residents without power, and claiming the lives of 105 people from Florida, according to CNN.
Initially, Hurricane Ian was supposed to land on the Florida Peninsula, but in an unexpected turn of events, it had moved down south near Tampa, where it made its landfall. This is why many people are waiting to see if Tropical Storm Idalia will hit the Big Bend area or change routes at the last minute.
Less than a year later, Tropical Storm Idalia is projected to be as powerful as a Category 3 storm later this week bringing potentially catastrophic winds, flooding, and heavy rain to parts of Florida. According to the National Hurricane Center, they predicted that Idiala would grow strong enough to the point where it would turn into a “major hurricane.” The agency also warned the public that hurricane and storm watches were in place for counties along the west coast of Florida and the Panhandle.
On Monday, mandatory evacuations were ordered for “Pasco, Manatee, Hernando, Taylor, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota, and Citrus counties for low-lying coastal areas and vulnerable structures,” according to CNN. Universities have also implemented safety precautions for their students, faculty, and staff. Florida A&M University announced that its main campus in Tallahassee will be closed on Aug.30 along with their other satellite locations. Florida State University also released a statement that its main campus will be closed on Aug. 30 as well.
For the latest Tropical Storm Idalia updates, refer to https://www.nhc.noaa.gov