Tropical storm Idalia brings ‘life-threatening’ flooding to the Carolinas as Florida surveys aftermath: Live

Tropical storm Idalia has left at least three people dead across Florida and Georgia as it now continues to hammer North Carolina with life-threatening flooding.

Idalia ploughed into Florida as a Category 3 Hurricane on Wednesday morning, before making its way inland through Georgia and the Carolinas.

Terrifying videos coming out of Florida have shown a car being flipped into the air by a huge gust of wind and a gas station roof being blown off.

Florida Highway Patrol said that two men were killed in two separate weather-related road accidents on Wednesday morning in the Sunshine State. Meanwhile in Georgia, a man was killed by a falling tree while he was trying to clear another tree off a highway.

Florida began its recovery efforts after the storm passed through on Wednesday, with Governor Ron DeSantis warning looters that they could be shot if they try to target affected communities.

As of 5am ET on Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center said that flooding due to heavy rains and strong winds would continue to ravage coastal North Carolina throughout today. Idalia is then expected to chart its path out into the Atlantic later on Thursday.

Key points

• Life-threatening flash flooding continues to hit North Carolina

• WATCH: Terrifying moment tornado flips car with two inside

• Is Hurricane Idalia coming back to Florida?

• Tree falls on DeSantis mansion with his family inside as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

• Satellite images show before and after Hurricane Idalia wrought damage in Florida

• Where did hurricane Idalia make landfall?

• Map shows path of Hurricane Idalia

Tree falls on Florida home during Hurricane Idalia

17:29 , Louise Boyle

A tree fell on a house in Perry, Florida, as Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday.

In a video shared on Facebook by resident Olivia Gregg, one downed tree can already be seen out of the window, before two more fall in the wind, with the second crashing into the home.

“Tree hit the house a little while ago. My immediate neighbours have massive trees on their houses as well,” Gregg wrote. “We are ok.”

Idalia made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area as a Category 3 storm with wind speeds topping 125 mph.

Tree falls on Florida home as Hurricane Idalia devastates state

President Biden calls Governor DeSantis

16:50 , Louise Boyle

President Joe Biden called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning, according to the White House pool report.

The president told Mr DeSantis that he had signed a Major Disaster Declaration and ordered all available federal resources to help with the continued response to Tropical Storm Idalia.

“The President reiterated that the people of Florida have his full support as they recover from the storm,” the report added.

Separately, Mr Biden declared that an emergency exists in the State of South Carolina and ordered federal assistance to support local response efforts to Hurricane Idalia.

Terrifying moment car carrying two people is flipped into air by Hurricane Idalia

16:36 , Louise Boyle

A car carrying two people was flipped into the air by a tornado in South Carolina, as Hurricane Idalia tore through the state.

The black sedan was travelling through severe rainfall near Goose Creek, north of Charleston, on Wednesday afternoon when severe gusts of wind threw it up in the air at an intersection.

Footage shows the car being flipped upwards by the strong winds, causing it to spin on its rear wheels before flipping upside down and landing on the roof of another oncoming car.

The Goose Creek Police Department said that the two people inside the car suffered minor injuries and were taken for treatment at a local hospital.

Rachel Sharp reports

Terrifying moment car carrying two people is flipped into air by Hurricane Idalia

Watch: Floridians surf in Hurricane Idalia waves amid coastal warnings

16:10 , Louise Boyle

Pictured: Hurricane Idalia spawns tornadoes in South Carolina

15:42 , Louise Boyle

Flood warning: There may be snakes

15:25 , Louise Boyle

The risks of wading in flooded streets were clear on Wednesday after a law enforcement agency posted pictures of snakes slithering out of the water.

“If there is flooding in your area, please shelter in place and do not wade in the water. You never know what could have washed in with the flooding,” Hernando County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.

Other potential dangers include downed power lines, hazardous chemicals and deadly diseases.

Tree falls on Ron DeSantis’s mansion with his family inside as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

15:03 , Louise Boyle

A 100-year-old oak tree toppled onto Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ mansion in Tallahassee as Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida.

The governor’s wife, Casey DeSantis, revealed the incident on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying she and her children were home at the time but no one was injured.

“Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured,” she said. “Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm.”

Graig Graziosi reports

Tree falls on Ron DeSantis’ mansion as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

Tropical Storm Idalia - the latest

14:35 , Louise Boyle

Tropical Storm Idalia is continuing to lose power as it moves into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, the National Weather Service reported.

However areas of flash, urban and moderate river flooding, with considerable impacts, are expected from eastern South Carolina through eastern North Carolina today.

Heavy rainfall is expected across the North Carolina coast through this afternoon but then conditions will begin to improve. There will be two to four inches of rain and up to five inches in some spots.

Coastal flooding is also expected in North Carolina today along with tropical storm force winds in parts of the US southeast coast.

In pictures: Florida residents inspect aftermath of, and damage from, Hurricane Idalia

14:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Why stormy weather this week could make or break Ron DeSantis

13:45 , Oliver O'Connell

It’s no secret at this point that Ron DeSantis’s image has taken a hit since he hit his peak in November 2022 after he cruised to a nearly 20-point re-election as Florida governor in an otherwise dim year from Republicans. His lacklustre performance on the presidential campaign trail has led to many people questioning whether he can go the distance against Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary.

And it looks like he might literally be facing even rougher waters than he already has weathered. This last week, a white gunman killed shot and killed three Black people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville. In response, Mr DeSantis said that “the shooting, based on the manifesto that they discovered from the scumbag who did this, was racially motivated. He was targeting people based on their race.”

But when he attended a vigil in Jacksonville, a historically Republican city that recently elected a Democratic mayor, the residents of the city were not having it and they heckled the governor.

Mr DeSantis has staked his claim on making Florida a place where “wokeness” comes to die and has passed laws restricting how race is taught in classrooms in the state. Others Black leaders, including some Black Republican members of Congress, have also criticised the state’s middle school history curriculum, which says that enslaved people “developed skills” that could be “applied for personal benefit.”

Read more from Eric Garcia on how Hurricane Idalia will impact Ron DeSantis’s precarious political position.

Why Hurricane Idalia could derail the 2024 campaign

Map shows path of Hurricane Idalia

13:27 , Rachel Sharp

Where is Hurricane Idalia now? Tropical storm system mapped

Biden declares state of emergency in South Carolina over Idalia

13:25 , Rachel Sharp

On Thursday morning, President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in South Carolina over storm Idalia.

“Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of South Carolina and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Idalia beginning on August 29, 2023, and continuing,” he said in a declaration released by the White House. “The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe. “Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided in 23 counties and emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided in the remaining 23 counties. “Mr. Brian F. Schiller of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.”

National Hurricane Center gives update on Idalia

13:05 , Rachel Sharp

“Tropical Storm #Idalia Advisory 19A: Heavy Rainfall and Life-Threatening Flash Flooding Continues In Portions of Eastern North Carolina. Winds Increasing Over the Outer Banks and Pamlico Sound,” the agency tweeted.

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Here’s why

12:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As the global average temperature increases, largely due to the carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, the ocean is taking a major hit.

The ocean has absorbed 90 per cent of warming in recent decades and all that extra heat is driving historically high water temperatures.

Warmer waters supercharge tropical cyclones with more heavy rainfall and storm surge as they come ashore.

While the frequency of hurricanes of tropical storms is not increasing, the chance that they become stronger, more destructive systems has increased by about 8 per cent per decade in the past 40 years, according to climate scientists.

The proportion of Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones is projected to increase around the world in the coming decades due to human-caused warming, according to the latest report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, is forecast to be above average this year.

Satellite images show before and after of Hurricane Idalia

12:30 , Rachel Sharp

Watch: DeSantis warns against looting in aftermath of Hurricane Idalia

12:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Voices: The hidden crisis looming behind Hurricane Idalia

11:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes:

Working in the mortgage industry in the 2010s, I knew three things to be true about Florida real estate transactions: closings do not require an attorney, it has a decent homebuyer assistance program, and homeowners’ insurance was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. This is bad news for a state that already has homeowners’ insurance rates four times higher than the national average, making it the most expensive state for homeowner’s insurance.

Read on...

The hidden crisis looming behind Hurricane Idalia

Ron DeSantis warns post-Idalia looters they’ll be shot

11:30 , Rachel Sharp

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has warned looters who target homes and businesses in the wake of Hurricane Idalia that they’ll be shot.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the governor reminded would-be thieves that Florida has a lot of Second Amendment advocates who will not hesitate to take action.

“I’d also just remind potential looters – you never know what you’re walking into,” he said.

“People have a right to defend their property. This part of Florida, you got a lot of advocates and proponents of the Second Amendment, and I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters, and I would say it’s probably here – ‘You loot, we shoot.’”

He added: “I’ve told all of our personnel at the state level, you know, you protect people’s property and we are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

“You never know what’s behind that door. If you go break into somebody’s house and you’re trying to loot, these are people that are going to be able to defend themselves and their families.

“Don’t even think about looting. Don’t even think about taking advantage of people in this vulnerable situation,” DeSantis said at the time, claiming that some people were “bringing boats” onto storm-ravaged islands and “trying to ransack people’s homes.

“I can tell you, in the state of Florida, you never know what may be lurking behind somebody’s home, and I would not wanna chance that if I were you, given that we’re a Second Amendment state.”

Three people so far killed in storm Idalia

11:10 , Rachel Sharp

At least three people have been killed as a result of Storm Idalia which ploughed into the state of Florida as a Category 3 Hurricane on Wednesday morning.

Florida Highway Patrol said that two men were killed in two separate weather-related road accidents on Wednesday morning.

Over in Georgia, a man was killed by a falling tree on Wednesday afternoon.

Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office said that that man had been cutting another tree that had fallen onto a highway when the tree fell on him.

Sheriff Ashley Paulk told The Associated Press: “The guy was out working on cleaning up a tree in the road, just a local citizen doing good things.

“A big gust of wind came up and dropped another tree, killed him instantly.”

A second person was also seriously injured and a sheriff’s deputy suffered minor injuries in the incident.

Tracker: Where is Idalia going now?

10:50 , Rachel Sharp

Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm near Keaton Beach, Florida, on Wednesday morning.

It then moved inland through Florida, Georgia and into South Carolina.

Tropical Storm Idalia charted a path along South Carolina’s coast through Wednesday night. A 2am ET update from the National Hurricane Center wanted of life-threatening flash flooding along southeastern North Carolina.

Idalia is expected to move offshore near North Carolina’s coast later on Thursday.

WATCH: Terrifying moment tornado flips car with two inside

10:30 , Rachel Sharp

Tree falls on DeSantis mansion with his family inside as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

10:10 , Rachel Sharp

Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, told her followers on X/Twitter that a 100-year-old oak tree toppled over onto the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.

She said she and her children were home at the time the tree came down, but no one was injured.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Tree falls on Ron DeSantis’ mansion as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

Life-threatening flash flooding continues to hit North Carolina

09:49 , Rachel Sharp

In a 5am ET update, the National Hurricane Center said that heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding is continuing to hit North Carolina.

“Tropical Storm #Idalia Advisory 19: Heavy Rainfall and Life-Threatening Flash Flooding Continues in Portions of Eastern North Carolina. http://hurricanes.gov,” the agency tweeted.

09:30 , Stuti Mishra

Waves lash Sanibel Island causeway 11 months after it was partially destroyed

09:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist battles 100mph winds as he reports from Florida during Idalia landfall

Florida's Gulf Coast begins cleanup from Hurricane Idalia

08:34 , Stuti Mishra

Cleanup and recovery from Hurricane Idalia began along Florida's Gulf Coast, where property damage, loss of life and power disruptions paled in comparison to the last major hurricane that struck the state nearly a year ago.

Idalia crashed ashore on Wednesday morning as a powerful Category 3 hurricane at Keaton Beach in Florida's Big Bend region, lashing the coast with sustained winds of up to 125 miles per hour (201 kph), accompanied by torrential rains and pounding surf.

The surge of storm-driven seawater rushed inland for miles, flooding low-lying communities and roadways in its path.

Electricity outages from fallen trees, utility poles and power lines were widespread, as were wind-damaged and flooded buildings, in hard-hit communities such as Perry, a city about 20 miles inland and north of where Idalia came ashore.

By nightfall, authorities were still trying to assess the full extent of damage.

Insured property losses in Florida were projected to run $9.36 billion, investment bank UBS said in a research note based on preliminary estimates.

Florida residents share heartbreaking photos of Hurricane Idalia’s wrath: ‘Houses everywhere are submerged’

08:00 , Louise Boyle

Florida residents shared heartbreaking photos of the destruction caused by Hurricane Idalia after the powerful storm swept into the state on Wednesday.

Idalia made landfall around 8am as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm with 120mph winds and warnings of “catastrophic” coastal surge up to 15 feet in places. More than 250,000 customers were left without power on Wednesday.

The hurricane came ashore near Keaton Beach in Big Bend, southeast of Tallahassee, an area known as “Florida’s nature coast” and less densely-populated than other parts of the state.

But that was cold comfort for the small, tranquil communities dotting the coastline with Idalia forecast to be the strongest storm to hit the region in more than 100 years.

Read more...

Florida residents share heartbreaking photos of Hurricane Idalia’s wrath

Tropical Storm Idalia descends on North Carolina

07:32 , Stuti Mishra

Tropical storm Idalia has descended on the Carolinas on its way out to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction throughout the southeast that stretched back to its landfall as a hurricane in Florida.

Rescue and repair efforts continued in the areas the storm passed and there was no immediate word on the toll from the ferocious winds and inundating waters, but three deaths have been reported so far in rain and wind-related accidents.

The storm has left as many as a half-million customers without power in Florida and other states at one point as it ripped down power poles and lines.

Still, it was far less destructive than feared, providing only glancing blows to Tampa Bay and other more populated areas as it came ashore with 125mph (201kph) in rural Florida.

The weakening storm still packed winds of up to 60mph (96kph) as it blasted through Georgia and South Carolina on Wednesday evening.

Video shows devastation caused by Idalia at Horseshoe Beach

07:00 , Stuti Mishra

Watch: Time-lapse shows rapid intensification of Hurricane Idalia as it reached Florida

06:30 , Stuti Mishra

Biden warns Idalia still dangerous, says no 'trace of politics' in conversations with DeSantis

06:00 , Stuti Mishra

President Joe Biden says Hurricane Idalia is “still very dangerous” even though it has weakened after coming ashore in Florida.

Mr Biden said he had spoken to the governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, all states affected by Idalia.

He received his second briefing in as many days from Deanne Criswell, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and directed her to spend Thursday with Republican governor Ron DeSantis to start assessing the hurricane damage and the needs there.

Mr DeSantis, who is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, and Mr Biden have clashed in recent months over the socially conservative governor's policies. as politicians from opposing parties will do.

But he said there was no trace of politics in his storm-related conversations with the governor.

“I know that sounds strange," Mr Biden said, noting how partisan politics have become. He recalled accompanying Mr DeSantis in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the last major storm to wallop Florida.

“I think he trusts my judgment and my desire to help and I trust him to be able to suggest that this is not about politics,” the president said. “This is about taking care of the people of the state.”

Storm surges expected along southeastern coast overnight, NWS says

05:30 , Stuti Mishra

Storm surges are expected to impact much of the southeast coast through tonight as Idalia continues its path sustaining tropical storm-force winds of up to 60mph, according to an 11pm ET update from the National Weather Service (NWS).

Coastal flooding is also expected in Storm Surge Watch areas in North Carolina on Thursday, NWS noted its latest update.

Idalia is currently 15 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina.

05:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Recap: Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida with ‘catastrophic storm surge’

04:00 , Louise Boyle

Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 on Wednesday morning bringing “catastrophic storm surge” to parts of Florida.

The hurricane slammed into the Big Bend area, near Keaton Beach, just before 8am (Eastern Time) with 125mph winds and warnings of up to 15ft of storm surge.

Hurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida with ‘catastrophic storm surge’

03:00 , Oliver O'Connell

DeSantis hit by power outage in middle of Hurricane Idalia briefing

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis was hit by a power outage in the middle of his press conference about Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday morning, as the storm barreled into Florida’s Big Bend region.

Read more...

Ron DeSantis hit by power outage in middle of Hurricane Idalia briefing

Watch: Sailboats slam into bridge after breaking free from moorings

01:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Documentarian Jonathan Petramala recorded dramatic footage of sailboats slamming into a bridge over the Steinhatchee River after the storm surtge reversed its course and broke the vessels free from their moorings. They lost their masts when they hit the bridge.

01:00 , Oliver O'Connell

‘I don’t think anybody can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore'

Thursday 31 August 2023 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

“Historic floods...more intense droughts, extreme heat, significant wildfires have caused significant damage like we have never seen before.”

— President Joe Biden.

ICYMI: DeSantis refuses to call out Trump’s silence on Hurricane Idalia

Thursday 31 August 2023 00:00 , Rachel Sharp

Ron DeSantis has refused to call out Donald Trump’s silence over Hurricane Idalia – as the former president stays mum despite being a resident of the Sunshine State.

DeSantis refuses to call out Trump’s silence on Hurricane Idalia

Dramatic footage shows storm surge reverse river and destroy moored boats

Wednesday 30 August 2023 23:45 , Josh Marcus

The storm surge from Hurricane Idalia is having surreal effects in Florida.

The sudden influx of water caused the Steinhatchee River in Florida’s Big Bend region to reverse course, flowing inland and slamming unmoored boats until a highway overpass bridge.

Watch below via Jonathan Petramala.

Watch: Palm tree snaps in half as eye of Idalia hits Perry, Florida

Wednesday 30 August 2023 23:30 , Oliver O'Connell

WATCH: Home burned down in Hernando Beach as firefighters were blocked by storm surge

Wednesday 30 August 2023 23:15 , Josh Marcus

Flood waters prevented Florida firefighters from reaching a home that was on fire before it was too late in Hernando Beach, north of Tampa.

Crews were bale to reach the blaze later on Wednseday and put out remaining hot spots, according to Fox 13.

Hurricane Idalia made landfall on Wednesday, killing at least two people.

Fresh backlash to Airbnb sparked by Hurricane Idalia

Wednesday 30 August 2023 23:00 , Olivia Hebert

Airbnb’s cancellation rules have angered users who learned they wouldn’t be getting their money back after having to cancel their Florida stays because of Hurricane Idalia.

Read more...

Hurricane Idalia brings fresh backlash to Airbnb

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Here’s why

Wednesday 30 August 2023 22:30 , Louise Boyle

As the global average temperature increases, largely due to the carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, the ocean is taking a major hit.

The ocean has absorbed 90 per cent of warming in recent decades and all that extra heat is driving historically high water temperatures.

Warmer waters supercharge tropical cyclones with more heavy rainfall and storm surge as they come ashore.

While the frequency of hurricanes of tropical storms is not increasing, the chance that they become stronger, more destructive systems has increased by about 8 per cent per decade in the past 40 years, according to climate scientists.

The proportion of Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones is projected to increase around the world in the coming decades due to human-caused warming, according to the latest report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, is forecast to be above average this year.

Where is Hurricane Idalia now?

Wednesday 30 August 2023 22:14 , Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Idalia has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it makes its way across the southeastern US.

Currently positioned to the northwest of Savannah, Georgia, the system is expected to move out to sea sometime overnight along the South Carolina coastline tracking past Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

Florida residents share heartbreaking photos of Hurricane Idalia’s wrath: ‘Houses everywhere are submerged’

Wednesday 30 August 2023 22:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Florida residents shared heartbreaking photos of the destruction caused by Hurricane Idalia after the powerful storm swept into the state on Wednesday.

Idalia made landfall around 8am as an “extremely dangerous” Category 3 storm with 120mph winds and warnings of “catastrophic” coastal surge up to 15 feet in places. More than 250,000 customers were left without power on Wednesday.

The hurricane came ashore near Keaton Beach in Big Bend, southeast of Tallahassee, an area known as “Florida’s nature coast” and less densely populated than other parts of the state.

But that was cold comfort for the small, tranquil communities dotting the coastline with Idalia forecast to be the strongest storm to hit the region in more than 100 years.

Read more...

Florida residents share heartbreaking photos of Hurricane Idalia’s wrath

Watch: DeSantis warns against looting in aftermath of Hurricane Idalia

Wednesday 30 August 2023 22:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Idalia downgraded to tropical storm status

Wednesday 30 August 2023 21:52 , Oliver O'Connell

The National Hurricane Center advises that Idalia has now been downgraded to a tropical storm.

The risk of freshwater flooding, storm surge, and strong winds continues across portions of Georgia and North and South Carolina.

Is Hurricane Idalia going to hit Florida twice?

Wednesday 30 August 2023 21:50 , Joe Sommerlad

Hurricane Idalia made landfall in northwestern Florida on Wednesday morning – bringing heavy winds, torrential rains and sending thousands of people fleeing for safety – and is expected to cut a path of destruction across southern Georgia and the Carolinas before heading into the Atlantic.

However, the Global Forecasting System, a US federal hurricane projection model, has caused alarm by indicating that the hurricane could then circle back and strike the Sunshine State for a second time early next week, albeit after losing much of its initial power.

Forecast shows Hurricane Idalia could hit Florida twice

Is a rare blue supermoon making Hurricane Idalia hit Florida even harder?

Wednesday 30 August 2023 21:40 , Oliver O'Connell

A rare blue supermoon could make the impact of Hurricane Idalia on northern Florida even harder, according to weather experts.

Graeme Massie explains why.

Rare blue supermoon could make Hurricane Idalia hit Florida even harder

Watch: FEMA Director Deanne Crisswell gives White House update on Hurricane Idalia

Wednesday 30 August 2023 21:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Tree falls on DeSantis mansion with his family inside as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

Wednesday 30 August 2023 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, told her followers on X/Twitter that a 100-year-old oak tree toppled over onto the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.

She said she and her children were home at the time the tree came down, but no one was injured.

Graig Graziosi has the story.

Tree falls on Ron DeSantis’ mansion as Hurricane Idalia rocks Florida

Wednesday 30 August 2023 20:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Where is Hurricane Idalia now?

Wednesday 30 August 2023 20:35 , Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Idalia has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm as it makes its way across the southeastern US.

Currently positioned over southern Georgia to the north of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, the system is expected to move out to see sometime overnight along the South Carolina coastline tracking past Savannah, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach, downgrading to a tropical storm as it does so.

Power outages mount as hurricane moves over Georgia

Wednesday 30 August 2023 20:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Idalia is now lashing Georgia as it makes its way across the state toward South Carolina and the North Atlantic, knocking the power out to hundreds of thousands of consumers.

While 283,828 customers remain in the dark in Florida, a further 165,249 have lost service in Georgia, and an additional 5,909 have lost power in South Carolina, according to figures collected by PowerOutage.us.

Voices: The hidden crisis looming behind Hurricane Idalia

Wednesday 30 August 2023 20:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes:

Working in the mortgage industry in the 2010s, I knew three things to be true about Florida real estate transactions: closings do not require an attorney, it has a decent homebuyer assistance program, and homeowners’ insurance was becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. This is bad news for a state that already has homeowners’ insurance rates four times higher than the national average, making it the most expensive state for homeowner’s insurance.

Read on...

The hidden crisis looming behind Hurricane Idalia

Watch: Time-lapse shows rapid intensification of Hurricane Idalia as it reaches Florida

Wednesday 30 August 2023 20:13 , Oliver O'Connell

LIVE: President Joe Biden delivers remarks on response to hurricane and wildfire disasters

Wednesday 30 August 2023 19:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Wednesday 30 August 2023 19:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Journalist battles 100mph winds as he reports from Florida during Idalia landfall

In pictures: Residents inspect aftermath of Hurricane Idalia amid storm surge

Wednesday 30 August 2023 19:20 , Oliver O'Connell

White House addresses Idalia aftermath

Wednesday 30 August 2023 19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

At the White House press briefing on Wednesday, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was joined by FEMA Director Deanne Criswell, who will be travelling to Florida tomorrow to observe the damage and recovery from Hurricane Idalia.

On the strength of the storm:

We know that the storm made landfall as a category three which means over 120 mile-per-hour winds and up to 10 inches of rain in some areas. Peak storm surge in some places along the coast ... could surpass once they measure over 15 feet of storm surge. And we'll get exact numbers as they're able to go in and assess what the total storm surge was. Idalia is the strongest storm to hit this part of Florida to make landfall in this part of Florida in over 100 years.

Concerning the efforts to restore power:

This morning, there are nearly 300,000 customer outages for power in Florida and we do expect those numbers to continue to rise as the storm passes through and goes into Georgia and we'll see power outage numbers for Georgia, South Carolina and perhaps North Carolina. Our partners at the US Army Corps of Engineers are pre-positioned to support power restoration and they have over 30 generators that are pre-staged. Additionally, the utilities are preparing for storm impacts including pre-staging crews and equipment outside of the projected storm track. [Florida] anticipates a total of about 30,000 to 40,000 linemen ... to begin to assist in the power restoration efforts.

On the danger not being over:

People that are still in the storm's path ... they should not venture out into the storm and remain sheltering in place if your local officials are telling you to do so. However, if you are in trouble and you need immediate assistance, please call 911. As you do go out do not wade in the water do not drive through flooded roads and streets. Just remember ‘Turn Around Don't Drown’. Unfortunately, we see so many fatalities after the storm passes.

Regarding the impact of climate change on the storm:

You know, I'm not gonna attribute the cause of the storm but what I can say is that we are seeing an increase in the number of severe weather events. And what we saw with the storm, as we have seen with several of our hurricanes over the last few years, is that they are intensifying more rapidly due to the elevated heat of the water temperature in the Gulf or in the Pacific or whether it's in the Atlantic. These storms are intensifying so fast that our local emergency management officials have less time to warn and evacuate and get people to safety. This is something that we have to take into consideration as we build our preparedness plans as our local communities build their preparedness plans, and how they're going to communicate and prepare their communities for the types of storms that they're going to face in the future.

On those people who chose to stay and not evacuate the area:

I think many people did heed the warning, but unfortunately, many did not. Right. We're already getting reports of people that chose to stay and they're getting calls into the local first responders to come in and assist them. And if anybody needs assistance, they should they should call 911. And those local first responders will come in and help.

As far as the entire footprint of those resources that are available, it's a combined effort recognising the capability that the state already has with all of their resources, and we have additional resources that are integrated in with that operation. So if we need to immediately augment, we have resources that are ready to deploy as soon as requested. Without hesitation and without interruption. [As to] how many people may be stranded, oh I don't have a number on how many from the initial assessment.

Wednesday 30 August 2023 18:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: Sailboats slam into bridge after breaking free from moorings

Wednesday 30 August 2023 18:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Documentarian Jonathan Petramala recorded dramatic footage of sailboats slamming into a bridge over the Steinhatchee River after the storm surtge reversed its course and broke the vessels free from their moorings. They lost their masts when they hit the bridge.

Florida governor’s mansion oak tree split in half by Hurricane Idalia

Wednesday 30 August 2023 18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A 100-year-old oak tree at the Florida Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee was split in half during Hurricane Idalia.

First Lady Casey DeSantis tweeted a picture of the huge tree partially fallen on the building. She confirms that she was home with her Ron DeSantis’s three children at the time and says thankfully no one was injured.

She offers prayers to everyone impacted by the storm.

Beach Boulevard S, Gulfport, Florida: Before and after storm surge

Wednesday 30 August 2023 18:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Tampa International Airport to reopen at 4pm ET

Wednesday 30 August 2023 18:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Watch: NBC reporter says Hurricane Idalia gust lifted him and camera off ground as he records dramatic footage of wind damage

Wednesday 30 August 2023 18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Cedar Key Fire Rescue appeal for patience in aftermath of Hurricane Idalia’s storm surge

Wednesday 30 August 2023 17:50 , Oliver O'Connell

Hurricanes are getting stronger. Here’s why

Wednesday 30 August 2023 17:40 , Louise Boyle

As the global average temperature increases, largely due to the carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels, the ocean is taking a major hit.

The ocean has absorbed 90 per cent of warming in recent decades and all that extra heat is driving historically high water temperatures.

Warmer waters supercharge tropical cyclones with more heavy rainfall and storm surge as they come ashore.

While the frequency of hurricanes of tropical storms is not increasing, the chance that they become stronger, more destructive systems has increased by about 8 per cent per decade in the past 40 years, according to climate scientists.

The proportion of Category 4 and 5 tropical cyclones is projected to increase around the world in the coming decades due to human-caused warming, according to the latest report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from 1 June to 30 November, is forecast to be above average this year.

Watch: Palm tree snaps in half as eye of Idalia hits Perry, Florida

Wednesday 30 August 2023 17:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Travel chaos across the US with hundreds of flights cancelled due to hurricane

Wednesday 30 August 2023 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Hurricane Idalia has impacted flight travel across the nation with several airports have been closed and hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed as the storm made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

Some Florida airports — Tampa, St. Pete-Clearwater, Sarasota and Tallahassee — were closed for the day “in preparation for Hurricane Idalia,” the Federal Aviation Authority wrote on X. Airports in Gainesville and Boca Raton are also closed, while Miami’s airport is experiencing a ground stop.

Kelly Rissman is tracking the latest information.

Hurricane Idalia creates travel chaos across the US as hundreds of flights cancelled

Two deaths from car crashes attributed to extreme weather conditions

Wednesday 30 August 2023 16:42 , Oliver O'Connell

Two men have died in separate rain-related crashes early on Wednesday morning as Hurricane Idalia approached landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast, Fox 35 reports.

Florida Highway Patrol said the first incident happened just before 6am on SR-20, just east of SE 60th Terrace in Gainesville.

A 59-year-old man from Gainesville, who was driving a Toyota pickup truck in “extremely rainy conditions”, was travelling westbound when it swerved into a ditch on the north side of SR-20. The truck continued through the ditch and crashed into a nearby tree line.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene when Alachua County Fire Rescue arrived.

The second incident happened at 6.15am on St Joe Road in Pasco County. A 40-year-old man from Spring Hill was driving a pickup truck “too fast for conditions” and lost control. His truck then left the roadway and collided with a tree.

He died from his injuries at the scene of the crash.

Wednesday 30 August 2023 16:40 , Oliver O'Connell

Rare lightning phenomenon captured in the sky during Hurricane Idalia evacuations

As Idalia dominates news, NWS warns about impact of Franklin

Wednesday 30 August 2023 16:20 , Oliver O'Connell

Though the news coverage is focused on the impact and ongoing dangers of Hurricane Idalia as it moves across Florida and Georgia, the National Weather Service warns that a distant storm — Hurricane Franklin — continues to stir up the western Atlantic, creating potentially deadly surf and rip currents along the US East Coast.

National Hurricane Center to give live update at 11.30am ET

Wednesday 30 August 2023 16:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Tampa International Airport assessing storm damage ahead of reopening decision

Wednesday 30 August 2023 16:10 , Oliver O'Connell

Tampa International Airport, to the south of the storm’s landfall, says crews are assessing storm damage and some of the roads around the facility are closed.

Airport authorities hope to make an announcement later today regarding reopening plans but admit their response time may be delayed as the storm continues to move across the state.

More than 270,000 without power in Florida

Wednesday 30 August 2023 16:00 , Oliver O'Connell

More than a quarter of a million customers are without power in Florida after Hurricane Idalia made landfall this morning according to PowerOutage.us.

The site tracks 11.3 million customers in Florida and as of 10.56am had 273,104 customers out of service, predominantly in the north of the state.

DeSantis press briefing hit by power outage as storm approached

Wednesday 30 August 2023 15:53 , Oliver O'Connell

Ron DeSantis was hit by a power outage in the middle of his press conference about Hurricane Idalia on Wednesday morning, as the storm barreled into Florida’s Big Bend region.

Rachel Sharp has the story.

Ron DeSantis hit by power outage in middle of Hurricane Idalia briefing