Hurricane Idalia has been declared a Category three type and it has made landfall in Florida. The storm is also gaining more momentum.
Early Wednesday morning, just before Idalia made landfall, some Florida towns were already reporting surges of up to six feet.
Florida has experienced some of the worst natural disasters to ever occur in the United States.
More than 1.5 million people across 28 counties have been asked to evacuate because of the potential destruction from the surge.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has confirmed that those closest to the coast are most at risk.
“There’s going to be a legitimate surge. It’s going to be a big, big deal, and it’s going to be very, very dangerous,” he said.
A storm surge like that of Hurricane Idalia could lead to extensive flooding, with waves so strong they can erode beaches and highways and take out buildings. It could also cause lakes and rivers inland to flood.
“The water has a lot of mass, and when it moves it generates a lot of force on structures,” said Steven Morey, a professor at the Florida A&M School of the Environment.
Mostly all of Florida’s western coast will see a rising tide in the next 36 hours, the NWS said on Monday, though some areas will be harder hit than others.
