Mass evacuation ahead of historic double hurricane

Florida

Florida evacuates - historic double hurricane approaches 

Nelly Kronstrand 

Published 2023-08-29 22:21  

News 

The United States is just days away from the iron grip of Hurricanes Idalia and Franklin. 

Now several states are preparing for the historic double threat that is expected to cause havoc.  

Airports have been bombed again, schools have been closed and thousands of Americans have been evacuated from their homes.  

- It is crucial that we are fully prepared, says state governor Ron DeSantis. 

The Atlantic hurricane season is in full swing and with a unique double hurricane approaching, thousands of Americans have been forced to evacuate their homes in the state of Florida.  

After talks with President Joe Biden, state governor Ron DeSantis has chosen to declare a state of emergency in 46 of 67 counties.  

- We expect Hurricane Idalia to hit Florida hard, DeSantis said during a press conference, reports CBS News.  

Ron DeSantis. Ron DeSantis. Photo: Nora Savosnick  

Evacuation in Cuba  

Before heading towards the United States, Idalia pulled in over Cuba, where tens of thousands of residents in the capital, Havana, were forced to evacuate their homes.  

Only on Wednesday is the hurricane expected to hit Florida's west coast - and then as a category 3 out of 5 hurricane with sustained winds of at least 49.7 meters per second.  

According to the US National Weather Service, however, Idalia's storm-force winds could be felt in the state as early as Tuesday, as she moves across the Gulf of Mexico.

Flooding in Cuba after Hurricane Idalia. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP 

Can become "extremely dangerous"  

The country's national hurricane center assesses that Idalia can become "extremely dangerous". 

As a precaution, the authorities have therefore closed down airports, schools and universities in Florida. Shelters and hotels have also been opened for evacuees. 

- If you are told to evacuate, you have to do it, DeSantis continued at the press conference.  

Volusia County, Tarpon Springs, Tampa, Levy, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Suwanee are examples of areas that have already been evacuated. 

"Please prepare"  

Warnings are issued that the storm could flood homes, uproot trees, knock out phone lines, destroy roads and cause widespread power outages. 

- So please prepare for it, says DeSantis to CNN.  

In several areas, storm surges that can reach 2 to 5 meters are also expected, which is warned of in the Big Bend area and the Tampa Bay area, among others. 

- It could be life-threatening, says DeSantis to the New York Times.  

Idalia's destruction is expected to be amplified by a blue supermoon on Wednesday - which could then add to the already elevated water levels. 

- The timing (of the supermoon) is pretty bad in this case, says meteorologist Brian Haines at the National Weather Center in Charleston, South Carolina, according to TT. 

Preparations in Florida for Hurricane Idalia. Photo: Stephen B. Morton/AP  

Unique phenomenon 

The United States is now facing a historic weather phenomenon - while waiting for Idalia, another hurricane is riding through the country. 

It is Hurricane Franklin that is described as a category 4. The hurricane is not expected to hit Florida, but is currently east of the Atlantic and is expected to reach Bermuda on Wednesday. This weekend, Franklin will meet Iceland, but then in weakened form. 

Still, the National Hurricane Center warns that Franklin could cause strong winds and currents along the east coast of the United States and Canada this week. 

That two powerful hurricanes hit the country at the same time - and so early in the hurricane season - is a unique phenomenon according to local meteorologists, reports CNBS.