Hurricane Idalia steamed toward Florida’s Big Bend region as a dangerous Category 4 storm Wednesday morning, threatening deadly storm surges and destructive winds in an area not accustomed to such pummeling.
Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave as Idalia gained strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And those who didn’t were warned to find a safe place while the storm moves through.
“Don’t put your life at risk by doing anything dumb at this point,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday morning. “This thing’s powerful. If you’re inside, just hunker down until it gets past you.”
Idalia was projected to come ashore with sustained winds of at least 130 mph (209 kph) in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. Storm surge could rise as high as 15 feet (4.5 meters) in some places.
Punta Mita Residents Protest Damage to Turtle Nesting Site
Tragedy and Farce in the Story of ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán
Federal Forces Arrest César Alejandro, “El Güero Conta”—Financial Operator for Audias Flores Silva, “El Jardinero”—in Zapopan
IMMIGRATION
Short on Training, Teachers Struggle to Support English Language Learners
BUSINESS
Eva Longoria Bets $1 Million on Latinas as the Next U.S. Economic Engine
California Pauses Venture Capital Diversity Law, Leaving Latina Founders Waiting
High Gas Prices Push EV Interest in Los Angeles, but Latino Buyers Still Face Hurdles to Ownership
Eva Longoria on Latina Entrepreneurship: Why Mentorship and Capital Still Decide Who Wins