Multiple people, including a teenage boy, are dead after Hurricane Debby made landfall in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> Monday, bringing torrential rain, flooding, and devastating winds. 
The small town of Steinhatchee <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/08/05/hurricane-debby-live-updates/74666168007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was hit</a> around 7:00 a.m. local time with 80-mile-per-hour winds. The storm then moved from the Big Bend coast of Florida through northern parts of the state before it was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm. 
This is the second time in less than a year that Steinhatchee has been hit by a hurricane, as Hurricane Idalia first made landfall about 20 miles away on August 26, 2023.
“Two in less than a year is pretty bad,” local resident Chris Williams <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-debby-flooding-storm-surge-high-winds-eb9fc50d578826784824f35ba943a6da" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Associated Press. “You do everything you can possibly do to prepare. And when you’ve done that, clean up and put it back together and move forward.”
Hundreds of thousands throughout Florida and Georgia are without power, and there is widespread flooding and other risks. Four people have already been reported dead due to storm conditions. 
Law enforcement in Levy County <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/live-updates/hurricane-debby-path-tracker/?id=112553231" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that a tree fell on a mobile home there, killing a 13-year-old boy. 
&#8220;Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,&#8221; said the Levy County sheriff’s office. &#8220;We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards.&#8221;
A truck driver was also killed after the vehicle ended up in a bypass canal off of Interstate 75 in Hillsborough County. 
&#8220;We send our condolences to the driver&#8217;s family,&#8221; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HCSOSheriff/">said</a> Sheriff Chad Chronister. &#8220;Even the harshest conditions didn&#8217;t stop our deputies working swiftly in this tragic situation.&#8221;
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722954638989000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2h4_GXX2w1UYpx8R3FKqzi">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Two other people <a href="https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/weather/fhp-florida-12-year-old-boy-among-2-dead-after-driver-loses-control-during-hurricane-debby-in-dixie-county/77-bfb7b071-9e1a-4493-9c0f-4475cda2bc9c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were killed</a> Sunday night after a 38-year-old woman in Dixie County lost control of her vehicle “due to the inclement weather and wet roadway,” leading to her death and also killing a 12-year-old boy. A 14-year-old boy was also in the vehicle and hospitalized after the accident. 
Portions of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas are expected to be inundated with rain.
Florida officials are warning that floods could be a danger for days after the storm passes. Florida Division of Emergency Management executive director Kevin Guthrie said Monday that the chance of flooding &#8220;is probably going to be here for the next five to seven days, maybe as long as 10 days depending on how much rainfall we get.”
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis told people not to drive through flooded areas.
“When the water rises, when you have streets that can be flooded, that’s hazardous,” he said. “Don’t try to drive through this. We don’t want to see traffic fatalities adding up.”
About 272,000 customers are <a href="https://poweroutage.us/">without power</a> in Florida, and 24,000 have lost power in Georgia.

Hurricane Debby Heads Towards Florida’s Big Bend Region

Multiple Dead After Hurricane Debby Makes Landfall In Florida

Florida

Georgia

Hurricane

Ron DeSantis

Severe Weather

South Carolina

U.S.

On Saturday, the first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricane</a> of the Atlantic season developed into a Category 1.
The hurricane, named Beryl, has sustained winds of approximately 75 mph as of Saturday afternoon, having grown from 60 mph on Friday when it was still a tropical storm. Beryl is expected to continue to strengthen as it travels west across the eastern Caribbean, potentially experiencing &#8220;<a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/beryl-forms-expected-to-become-1st-major-hurricane-of-2024-season/1663256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapid intensification</a>.&#8221;
According to Eddie Walker, <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/beryl-forms-expected-to-become-1st-major-hurricane-of-2024-season/1663256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AccuWeather’s</a> Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist, “Steering breezes will guide the system to cross the Windward Islands of the eastern Caribbean from Sunday night to Monday, then waters near Jamaica during the middle of next week and perhaps to the shores of Central America or southeastern Mexico at the end of next week.”
Another AccuWeather meteorologist noted that storms in this longitude and latitude are uncommon for this time of year, with only “seven named storms” forming “over the last 173 years” prior to Independence Day.
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Beryl intensified into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, and the US National Hurricane Center said it may undergo rapid strengthening <a href="https://t.co/N9wbGDa00M">https://t.co/N9wbGDa00M</a> <a href="https://t.co/4T6DYfX4fm">pic.twitter.com/4T6DYfX4fm</a>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1807213964423582138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/tracking-hurricane-beryl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Weather</a> reported that the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin doesn’t typically arrive until around August 11 on average, so Beryl is ahead of the game, which is likely due in part to the unseasonably high ocean temperatures.
The <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/how-does-noaa-see-2024-atlantic-hurricane-season-shaping#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20NOAA%20predicts%20a,is%203)%20(3)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) predicted that 2024 will see an above average hurricane season, with 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 being classified as “major.”
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NOAA blames the likely above average season on the El Niño/La Niña pattern, as well as ocean temperatures, which “in May were closer to what we would expect in late August, when we are approaching the traditional peak of the hurricane season.”
When the 2023 hurricane season came to a close last year, it ranked as the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/2023-atlantic-hurricane-season-ranks-4th-for-most-named-storms-in-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4th most active</a> in the last 73 years of tracking, though only Hurricane Idalia made U.S. landfall as a category 3 in northwest Florida.

2024’s First Atlantic Hurricane Forms, May See ‘Rapid Intensification’

General

United States

Weather

World

Forecasters said on Wednesday they believe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane</a> Lee will be heading toward New England over the next several days.
Heading into the weekend, the storm brings the risk of wind, coastal flooding, and rain impacts for parts of New England as well as Canada&#8217;s Atlantic Coast as Lee&#8217;s core passes west of Bermuda and moves north, <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1701974377351246317" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the National Hurricane Center</a>. The National Weather Service forecast office in Boston/Norton, Massachusetts, additionally <a href="https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=BOX&amp;issuedby=BOX&amp;product=AFD&amp;format=CI&amp;version=1&amp;glossary=1&amp;highlight=off" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> of increasing surf and rip currents.
Atmospheric conditions are expected to prompt Hurricane Lee to &#8220;gradually increase in forward speed&#8221; and may cause it to &#8220;turn slightly to the left Friday night and Saturday, which will likely bring Lee close to southeastern New England before it reaches Maine and Atlantic Canada later in the weekend,&#8221; NHC <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/131438.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a discussion post.
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11 am AST: Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lee</a> is expected to move toward New England and Atlantic Canada. Here are the Key Messages. Visit <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb">https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb</a> <a href="https://t.co/qrQg0FXPgn">pic.twitter.com/qrQg0FXPgn</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1701974377351246317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Confidence is increasing in the forecast track, and the model spread is mostly along-track, associated with the system&#8217;s forward speed/timing,&#8221; NHC added, emphasizing how the forecast has become more certain over time. &#8220;Overall, little change was made to the previous NHC track forecast, and it remains very near the various consensus models.&#8221;
Lee weakened from its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lee-becomes-powerful-category-5-hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">peak Category 5 status</a> last week but has <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/hurricane-lee-slows-ahead-northward-083559662.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grown in size</a> over the past few days, meaning its hurricane-force winds are stretching out farther away from its center. Forecasters with NHC said the storm would bring rough surf and rip currents to a wide area in the Caribbean —including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico — and tropical storm conditions to Bermuda in the coming days.
&#8220;Due to Lee&#8217;s large size, hazards will extend well away from the center, and there will be little to no significance on exactly where the center reaches the coast,&#8221; NHC stressed.
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The storm clocked in as a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Category 3 hurricane</a> with sustained maximum winds of 115 miles per hour as of midday on Wednesday, but forecasters believe it will continue to diminish as it gets closer to New England and Canada. Still, they warned, Lee will pose a danger to people in those areas.
&#8220;[Lee] is still a major hurricane &amp; poses a serious threat to New England &amp; the Canadian Maritimes. Although weaker this weekend, expect high surf, coastal flooding, beach erosion, &amp; periods of high winds. Lee will be moving quickly, with [effects] being intense but short-lived,&#8221; Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Bettes <a href="https://twitter.com/mikebettes/status/1701998748107264227" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in a post to X</a>.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lee</a> is still a major hurricane &amp; poses a serious threat to New England &amp; the Canadian Maritimes. Although weaker this weekend, expect high surf, coastal flooding, beach erosion, &amp; periods of high winds. Lee will be moving quickly, with affects being intense but short-lived. <a href="https://t.co/phvQrwfUwi">pic.twitter.com/phvQrwfUwi</a>
&mdash; Mike Bettes (@mikebettes) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikebettes/status/1701998748107264227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to November 30, is currently at its peak. Another second hurricane, Margot, is churning around the central Atlantic Ocean and is not<a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/131455.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> expected to go very far over the next few days</a>. And a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&amp;fdays=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disturbance over the eastern Atlantic Ocean</a> has an 80% chance of forming into a tropical cyclone in the next week.
A hurricane named Idalia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/electric-vehicles-catch-fire-after-hurricane-idalia-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed into Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast in late August</a>, causing flooding, power outages, and <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article279223344.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least four deaths</a>.

Hurricane Lee

Forecasters Warn Hurricane Lee Expected To Move Toward New England

Boston

Canada

Puerto Rico

Virgin Islands

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane</a> Lee has become a &#8220;dangerous&#8221; Category 5 storm over the Atlantic Ocean, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced late Thursday.
An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter found that the hurricane &#8220;skyrocketed&#8221; to the high end of the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a> during the day with sustained maximum winds of 160 miles per hour, the federal agency <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/080252.shtml?">explained</a> in an 11 p.m. ET discussion post.
The storm is expected to maintain a &#8220;steady&#8221; track to the west-northwest, passing &#8220;well to the north&#8221; of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico over the next five days, NHC said.
During that period, Lee may slightly diminish to Category 4 status, which would still keep it as a major hurricane with the potential for &#8220;catastrophic&#8221; damage, according to the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a>.
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Lee, now a category five hurricane with winds of 160 mph, is still expected to turn north before reaching the U.S. East Coast next week. <a href="https://t.co/wRk5uHo5YR">pic.twitter.com/wRk5uHo5YR</a>
&mdash; James Spann (@spann) <a href="https://twitter.com/spann/status/1699981624677429316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Afterward, the track for Hurricane Lee becomes far less certain, as is often the case with extended forecasts.
&#8220;Although there are some indications that Lee might begin a northward turn around the middle of next week, it is still way [too] soon to focus on specific model scenarios that far out into the future,&#8221; NHC said.
Some computer models indicated on Thursday that Hurricane Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hurricane-lee-expected-to-reach-category-5-strength">could threaten to directly impact</a>, if not make landfall, over the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Canada. Another possibility is that the storm gets steered away from the U.S.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LEE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LEE</a>. 160 MPH WINDS. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TropicalUpdate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TropicalUpdate</a> 🌀 <a href="https://t.co/wN6wIOU8K6">pic.twitter.com/wN6wIOU8K6</a>
&mdash; Dylan Federico (@DylanFedericoWX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanFedericoWX/status/1699980711493542146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents are likely in the northern Leeward Islands beginning Friday. These conditions will spread westward and northward, affecting Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and Bermuda through the weekend,&#8221; the NHC said as one of its &#8220;key messages&#8221; in its 11 p.m. post.
&#8220;It is way too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast, Atlantic Canada, or Bermuda late next week, particularly since the hurricane is expected to slow down considerably over the southwestern Atlantic,&#8221; NHC said in another message. &#8220;Regardless, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the U.S.  East Coast beginning Sunday. Continue to monitor updates to Lee&#8217;s forecast during the next several days.&#8221;
The Weather Channel also emphasized the uncertainty in the longterm forecast, <a href="https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/2023-09-06-hurricane-lee-forecast-atlantic-rapid-intensification">but warned</a> &#8220;Bermuda, the northeast U.S. coast and Atlantic Canada should monitor the forecast closely.&#8221;
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The Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to November 30, is currently at its peak. Lee is the first Category 5 hurricane since last season. Tropical Storm Margot has formed over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and so far the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/080253.shtml?">NHC forecast calls for it stay out to sea</a> as it becomes a hurricane.
Another hurricane named Idalia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/electric-vehicles-catch-fire-after-hurricane-idalia-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed into Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast last week</a>, causing flooding, power outages, and <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/hurricane-idalia-death-toll/67-c1119bc7-30bb-45b6-9170-b7b8551a57d7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least two deaths</a>.

Hurricane Lee Cat 5

Lee Becomes Powerful Category 5 Hurricane

Forecasters with the federal government predict <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hurricane</a> Lee will reach Category 5 status by the weekend as it heads toward the United States, though its extended track remains uncertain.
Maximum sustained winds are expected to reach 160 miles per hour by the weekend, putting the storm at the high end of the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a> with the potential for &#8220;catastrophic&#8221; damage.
&#8220;Many of the models are calling for remarkable rates of intensification, beyond rates normally seen with model forecasts,&#8221; the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/071459.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thursday discussion post</a>.
In the days that follow, the storm is expected to slightly diminish to Category 4 status, which would still keep it as a major hurricane.
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11AM AST Sep 7: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lee?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lee</a> is forecast to become a major hurricane later today. Stay up to date with the latest at <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ">https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/OytGC4Atmo">pic.twitter.com/OytGC4Atmo</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1699805035188900004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
The NHC said the storm, which was moving over the Atlantic Ocean toward the Caribbean as a Category 2 hurricane as of midday on Thursday, would likely travel north of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and other nearby islands over the weekend and into next week. But, the agency added, these islands should continue monitoring for updates.
&#8220;Swells generated by Lee are expected to reach portions of the Lesser Antilles on Friday, and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas, and Bermuda this weekend. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions,&#8221; the NHC stressed in one of its <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT3+shtml/071459.shtml?" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;key&#8221; messages</a>.
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A look at Hurricane Lee as it swirls in the western Atlantic Ocean this morning. The current maximum sustained wind gusts are 90 mph.
Lee is forecast to intensify rapidly into a powerful Category 5 hurricane (157+ mph sustained winds) by the weekend. <a href="https://t.co/OUpcEKCIfr">pic.twitter.com/OUpcEKCIfr</a>
&mdash; AccuWeather (@accuweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/accuweather/status/1699788847817855302?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The outlook for next week for Hurricane Lee gets murky, as is often the case with extended forecasts, and even if it does not make landfall over North America, its effects could still extend far and wide.
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A <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/hurricane-lee-set-to-explode-to-category-5-strength-prior-to-caribbean-us-impacts/1576688#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video from AccuWeather</a> showed that Hurricane Lee would turn to the north and, depending on the jet stream, could lead to a &#8220;direct impact risk&#8221; somewhere along the coast of the Mid-Atlantic, New England, or Canada. Another possibility is that the jet stream steers it away from the U.S.
The Atlantic hurricane season, which stretches from June 1 to November 30, is currently at its peak. Another hurricane named Idalia <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/electric-vehicles-catch-fire-after-hurricane-idalia-flooding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed into Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast last week</a>, causing flooding, power outages, and <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/regional/florida/hurricane-idalia-death-toll/67-c1119bc7-30bb-45b6-9170-b7b8551a57d7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">at least two deaths</a>.
Though it appears right now Hurricane Lee will not hit Florida, one local forecaster recommended that the rest of the East Coast keep watch. &#8220;Models continue to thankfully keep this well away from Florida, but should be monitored from the Carolinas to Eastern Canada,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/MattDevittWINK/status/1699800369126367544" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> WINK News chief meteorologist Matt Devitt.

Hurricane Lee Expected To Reach Category 5 Strength

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> slammed left-wing climate alarmists over the weekend for trying to advance their policy agenda in the wake of Hurricane Idalia.
DeSantis made the remarks during a press conference on Sunday while giving an update on the status of recovery operations in the state.
His remarks come after President Joe Biden visited the state on Saturday and declared that &#8220;nobody can deny the impact of climate crises — at least nobody intelligent can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore.&#8221;
DeSantis referenced past storms from well over 100 years ago that had the same path as Hurricane Idalia and hit Florida with similar destructive wind speeds of approximately 125 mph.
&#8220;So, I think the notion that somehow hurricanes are something new, that’s just false,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;And we’ve got to stop politicizing the weather and stop politicizing natural disasters. We know from history there’s been times when it’s very busy in Florida, late ‘40s, early ‘50s, you had a lot of hits of significant hurricanes.&#8221;
&#8220;So, I think sometimes people need to take a breath and get a little bit of perspective here,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But the notion that somehow if we just adopt, you know, very left-wing policies at the federal level that somehow we will not have hurricanes, that is a lie. And that is people trying to take what happened with different types of storms and use that as a pretext to advance their agenda on the backs of people that are suffering. And that’s wrong, and we’re not going to do that in the state of Florida.&#8221;
WATCH:
https://twitter.com/giancarlosopo/status/1698463914726408358

Florida Starts To Recover As Idalia Soaks US South With Rain

DeSantis Slams Climate Alarmists: Saying That Adopting Leftist Policies Will Stop Hurricanes ‘Is A Lie’

Climate Change

After <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane-idalia">Hurricane Idalia</a> slammed into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida">Florida</a> last week, reports of electric vehicles catching fire after coming into contact with floodwaters began to emerge.
At least two Tesla vehicles — one in Pinellas Park and another in Palm Harbor — ignited after being contaminated by saltwater from storm surge, according to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwraIqtRFqM">ABC&#8217;s Tampa Bay affiliate</a>.
Palm Harbor Fire Rescue posted to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Palmharborfire/posts/697381912418591?ref=embed_post">Facebook</a> about one of the incidents, warning that exposure to saltwater &#8220;can trigger combustion in lithium-ion batteries.&#8221;
Electric vehicle owners were advised to move any car that came into recent contact with saltwater to immediately relocate the vehicle, specifically if it was parked in a garage.
The list of potentially affected vehicles includes golf carts and electric scooters.
&#8220;Salt particles get into the battery and other electrical components and they act as a conductor, leading to a short circuit and eventually a fire. And the risk of ignition lasts for weeks after a storm,&#8221; The Weather Channel&#8217;s Danielle Banks <a href="https://weather.com/safety/auto/video/laborious-ev-fires-igniting-after-idalia-flooding">said</a> in an explainer video.
The battery packs are &#8220;encased in metal and hard to get to at the bottom of the cars,&#8221; Banks added. &#8220;The fire sometimes takes tens of thousands of gallons of water and hours of firefighting to extinguish and even then may reignite days later.&#8221;
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Tesla has a <a href="https://www.tesla.com/support/submerged-vehicle-guidance">guidance page</a> for owners whose vehicle has become submerged due to flooding or other extreme weather conditions on its website.
Drivers are encouraged to treat their vehicle &#8220;as if it has been in an accident and contact your insurance company,&#8221; not to attempt to operate the vehicle without an inspection from an authorized shop, and to get the vehicle towed or otherwise moved at least 50 feet away from structures or &#8220;other combustible materials such as other cars and personal property.&#8221;
Hurricane Idalia made landfall over Florida&#8217;s Gulf Coast near Keaton Beach on Wednesday, bringing with it strong winds, heavy rains, and storm surge. It has since swept across Florida and neighboring states and <a href="https://www.foxweather.com/watch/play-69e00674a000e3d">dissipated</a> over the Atlantic Ocean.
Authorities pushed drivers to move their electric vehicles to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/florida-residents-told-move-electric-cars-before-idalia-hits-1822924">higher ground</a> when the storm approached as a precaution.
Other hurricanes are known to have caused electric vehicles to catch fire in the past, which led some officials and policymakers to <a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/files/EA2BECF3-6D20-45A1-8F39-774B8534A800">question</a> whether auto-makers are doing enough to develop safety protocols amid the Biden administration&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/13/climate/electric-vehicles-biden-epa.html">push</a> for a transition away from gasoline-burning vehicles.
USA Today <a href="https://www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/files/EA2BECF3-6D20-45A1-8F39-774B8534A800">reported</a> that 21 electric vehicles are known to have burned in connection to flooding from Hurricane Ian in Florida and the Carolinas last year out of an estimated 358,000 damaged vehicles.

Hurricane Idalia Slams Into Florida’s Gulf Coast

Electric Vehicles Catch Fire After Hurricane Idalia Flooding

Electric cars

Hurricane Idalia

Transportation

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> laid down the law during a press conference on Wednesday when talking about reports that some people had tried to loot in the wake of a powerful hurricane that hit the state.
&#8220;I’ve told all of our personnel at the state level, you protect people’s property, and we are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, it’s just ridiculous that you would try to do something like that on the heels of an almost Category 4 hurricane hitting this community.&#8221;
DeSantis warned potential looters that in Florida they have no idea what they are walking into if they try to break into someone&#8217;s home.
&#8220;People have a right to defend their property,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;This part of Florida, you’ve got a lot of advocates and some proponents of the Second Amendment, and I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters.&#8221;
&#8220;I would say probably here: &#8216;You loot, we shoot,'&#8221; he said. &#8220;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. So I would not do it. We’re going to hold you accountable from the law enforcement perspective at a minimum, and it could even be worse than that depending on what’s behind that door. So let’s all band together and lift people up and not take advantage of a difficult situation.&#8221;
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WATCH:
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DESANTIS ISSUES WARNING TO POTENTIAL LOOTERS
“This part of Florida, you&#39;ve got a lot of advocates of the Second Amendment&#8230;You loot, we shoot. You never know what’s behind that door.” <a href="https://t.co/U5xmVrVTdu">pic.twitter.com/U5xmVrVTdu</a>
&mdash; DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeSantisWarRoom/status/1696965708838486061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Ron DeSantis Holds Election Night Event In Tampa

DeSantis To Would-Be Looters After Hurricane: ‘You Loot, We Shoot’

Visceral images showing the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supermoon-could-intensify-hurricane-idalias-storm-surge">storm surge</a> from Hurricane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-an-escalating-forecast-tropical-storm-idalia-expected-to-hit-florida-as-major-hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idalia</a> emerged Wednesday out of Cedar Key, a small clump of islands that make up a city of roughly <a href="https://cityofcedarkey.org/">800 full-time residents</a> and a <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/cedar-keys">National Wildlife Refuge</a> along the Gulf Coast of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida">Florida</a>.
Short video clips posted to X captured inundated streets, torrents crashing upon the walls of structures, pieces of debris floating around, and buildings flooded with water in the area.
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HEARTBREAKING 💔 We&#39;re getting a first look at Hurricane Idalia&#39;s devastating storm surge in Cedar Key. <a href="https://t.co/F31HqkPjy8">https://t.co/F31HqkPjy8</a> <a href="https://t.co/DS3pWRXyBi">pic.twitter.com/DS3pWRXyBi</a>
&mdash; WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WFLA/status/1696891966364012719?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Weather Channel&#8217;s Jim Cantore, who is well known for broadcasting live from stormy disasters, picked Cedar Key as his base of operations while covering Hurricane Idalia. He and his producer shared videos showing more than 6 feet of storm surge and its effects.
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Live w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCantore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimCantore</a> in Cedar Key, FL on <a href="https://twitter.com/weatherchannel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@weatherchannel</a> where the storm surge is at 6+ ft and rising from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HurricaneIdalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HurricaneIdalia</a> <a href="https://t.co/zE7aS30E4T">pic.twitter.com/zE7aS30E4T</a>
&mdash; Steve Petyerak (@StevePetyerak) <a href="https://twitter.com/StevePetyerak/status/1696844644347183322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Surrounded by water as expected,&#8221; Cantore <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCantore/status/1696887509957972126">said</a> in one post.
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A RECORD 6.9 foot storm surge in Cedar Key, FL. Surrounded by water as expected. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UOF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UOF</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#idalia</a> <a href="https://t.co/o1ugmxyA0R">pic.twitter.com/o1ugmxyA0R</a>
&mdash; Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCantore/status/1696887509957972126?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A mandatory evacuation order <a href="https://cityofcedarkey.org/wp-content/uploads/ORDER-MANDATORY-EVACUATION-IDALIA.pdf">instructed Cedar Key residents</a> to leave the city by Tuesday, but not everyone heeded the warning.
Asked during a press conference about an estimated 100 people who refused to flee, Florida Republican Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> noted there was a &#8220;hazardous situation&#8221; with the storm surge.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says it’s a “hazardous situation” in Cedar Key, where some people have stayed even as the storm surge from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HurricaneIdalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HurricaneIdalia</a> is expected to rise up to 16 feet
“There will be rescue efforts done if need be,” DeSantis says <a href="https://t.co/dk4JEHsGM2">https://t.co/dk4JEHsGM2</a> <a href="https://t.co/zS34BU4PdB">pic.twitter.com/zS34BU4PdB</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1696841638855749771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“There will be rescue efforts done if need be,” <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1696841638855749771">he said</a>. &#8220;And hopefully it&#8217;s not necessary. Hopefully they knew what they were doing and they have a spot.&#8221;
As Idalia approached Florida, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that some areas in and around the Big Bend region along the coast might face double-digit storm surge when measured in feet.
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This is what more than six feet of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a>&#39;s storm surge looks like in Cedar Key, Florida, where <a href="https://twitter.com/JimCantore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JimCantore</a> is LIVE: <a href="https://t.co/rL0RI31Bj6">pic.twitter.com/rL0RI31Bj6</a>
&mdash; The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) <a href="https://twitter.com/weatherchannel/status/1696868302369263659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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NHC Deputy Director Jamie Rhome <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/tropical-storm-idalia-hurricane-florida/card/storm-surge-threatens-to-cut-cedar-key-off-from-mainland-florida-nhc-official-warns-m2VXeMwAwHn6XYKsq6aw">said</a> he was &#8220;especially concerned&#8221; for anyone who remained in Cedar Key as it was &#8220;right smack in the middle of that area,&#8221; noting &#8220;the entire island could be cut off with conditions like that.&#8221;
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Idalia made landfall as a major Category 3 hurricane around 7:45 a.m. near Keaton Beach, Florida, which is located about an 89-mile drive north of Cedar Key.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Per <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NHC_Atlantic</a> Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a> has made landfall as a Category 3 Major Hurricane with max sustained winds of 125mph near Keaton Beach, Florida at 7:45 am EDT. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FLwx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FLwx</a> <a href="https://t.co/BoMcnvb7W8">pic.twitter.com/BoMcnvb7W8</a>
&mdash; NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSTallahassee/status/1696852549138276614?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Michael Bobbit, a Cedar Key resident, called in to speak with ABC News about what Idalia did to his city.
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Cedar Key, FL, resident tells <a href="https://twitter.com/dianermacedo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dianermacedo</a> that &quot;it looks like our entire downtown commercial district is underwater&quot; due to Hurricane Idalia flooding. <a href="https://t.co/paCF2AW5sc">pic.twitter.com/paCF2AW5sc</a>
&mdash; ABC News Live (@ABCNewsLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCNewsLive/status/1696898525789884490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It looks like our entire downtown commercial district is underwater,&#8221; Bobbit said. &#8220;We have no commercial buildings that aren&#8217;t almost entirely inundated. And it means — I&#8217;d say 50% of the houses on the island have water in them.&#8221;
Bobbit, who mentioned that he was walking through waist-deep water while surveying the damage, also said, &#8220;So far I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;ve had any loss of life or any significant injury.&#8221;

Hurricane Idalia Hits Cedar Key

‘Surrounded By Water’: Storm Surge Inundates Florida’s Cedar Key

'Surrounded By Water': Storm Surge Inundates This Florida City

Storm surge from Hurricane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-an-escalating-forecast-tropical-storm-idalia-expected-to-hit-florida-as-major-hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idalia</a> could get a boost from an imminent supermoon as the tropical system rolls toward <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida">Florida</a> this week.
CNN meteorologist Chad Myers <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1696624200209829905">explained</a> what to expect during a segment less than 24 hours before <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-weather-service-warns-hurricane-idalia-poses-unprecedented-danger-to-florida">Idalia is predicted to make landfall</a> somewhere over Florida&#8217;s Big Bend region between Panama City and Tampa on Wednesday.
&#8220;Right now, today and tonight, the moon is 18,000 miles closer than normal because the moon&#8217;s orbit isn&#8217;t a circle. It&#8217;s kind of a big egg,&#8221; Myers told anchor Jake Tapper. &#8220;So because it&#8217;s closer, you get about a 5% higher pull because it&#8217;s 5% closer than normal.&#8221;
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A rare blue supermoon could intensify Idalia’s storm surge as the hurricane is expected to make landfall on Florida’s west coast Wednesday.
The moon’s close proximity to Earth will strengthen its intensified gravitational pull and is expected to makes tides higher. <a href="https://t.co/DrZZaKE27y">pic.twitter.com/DrZZaKE27y</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1696624200209829905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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That stronger gravitational pull &#8220;is going to raise any of these storm surges that would have been — let&#8217;s say 14 feet — would make it 15 feet,&#8221; Myers added, figures which match the high-end of the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT5+shtml/292354.shtml?">National Hurricane Center&#8217;s forecast</a> for water height above ground in some areas of Florida.
&#8220;You&#8217;re going to see these tides worldwide higher than normal,&#8221; he continued, &#8220;but it affects obviously this storm because as you push water onshore, if the tide&#8217;s going to be higher, you have to add that surge to the tide, and that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re going to see tonight.&#8221;
The moon will not just be a supermoon on Wednesday night, but a rare blue supermoon. Blue in this instance is not a reference to the color, but rather an indicator that it is the <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/news/197/super-blue-moons-your-questions-answered/">second full moon in a single month</a>. There will <a href="https://moon.nasa.gov/news/197/super-blue-moons-your-questions-answered/">not be another blue supermoon</a> until 2037, according to NASA.
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As for right now, Brian Haines, the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Charleston, South Carolina, was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/hurricane-idalia-supermoon-tides-c84a50eb054358f424934a6422373b73">quoted by the Associated Press</a> saying, &#8220;I would say the timing is pretty bad for this one.&#8221;
A low tide will take place in the morning on Wednesday in the Big Bend area followed by a high tide during midday, which <a href="https://weather.com/safety/hurricane/news/2023-08-28-tropical-storm-hurricane-idalia-strength-track-surge-size">a post by Weather.com</a> noted could be important depending on when Idalia actually makes landfall.
Idalia, which <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1696446609121567205" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strengthened into a hurricane</a> early on Tuesday, has already drenched Havana, Cuba, and has been intensifying as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf Coast toward Florida. It reached Category 2 strength in the afternoon and is expected to intensify into a major Category 3 storm by Wednesday.
Heavy rain, flooding, strong winds, and even tornados could affect Florida, as well as neighboring states in the coming days. And there will be storm surge, which prompted Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis">Ron DeSantis</a> to warn residents to seek refuge if they are in and around the Big Bend area — <a href="https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2023/08/29/cedar-key-florida-where-hurricane-idalia-path-track-gulf-mexico/70707213007/">mentioning Cedar Key in particular</a> — where myriad evacuation orders have been given.
&#8220;Storm surge is something — you&#8217;re not going to win that battle if you decide to stay behind for that,&#8221; DeSantis <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkuK-qusn0A">said</a> during a briefing. &#8220;You run away from the water and then you hide from the wind.&#8221;
The outer bands of the storm are already sweeping through parts of Florida. In fact, the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/video/watch-streets-flood-in-fort-myers-beach-as-hurricane-idalia-nears-florida/0D006961-D44C-49F8-97B6-E633C40EE1A6.html">streets of Fort Myers</a> were already flooding on Tuesday.

The Gibbous Moon

Supermoon Could Intensify Hurricane Idalia’s Storm Surge

Supermoon Could Intensify Hurricane Idalia's Storm Surge

Moon

Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> signaled during a press conference this week that he will stay off the campaign trail for as long as it takes to get his state through Hurricane Idalia.
DeSantis arrived back in Tallahassee from Iowa on Saturday to manage the state&#8217;s crisis response as the massive storm prepares to hit the Big Bend area of Florida&#8217;s west coast.
During a press conference on Tuesday, a reporter asked the 44-year-old governor: &#8220;How long are you planning on staying in Florida and off the campaign trail?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, this is no different, you remember [Hurricane] Ian, we were in the midst of a governor campaign,&#8221; DeSantis responded. &#8220;I had all kinds of stuff scheduled, not just in Florida — around the country we were doing different things.&#8221;
&#8220;And you do what you need to do, so that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re doing; it&#8217;s going to be no different than what we did during Hurricane Ian,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I&#8217;m hoping that this storm is not [as] catastrophic as Hurricane Ian was, but we’re going to do what we need to do because it’s just something that’s important.&#8221;
&#8220;But it&#8217;s no different than what we&#8217;ve done in past iterations of all this stuff,&#8221; he concluded.
During his 2022 re-election bid, DeSantis paused campaigning for approximately <a href="https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2022/10/17/gov-ron-desantis-touts-hurricane-ian-response-campaign-events-around-florida/10519222002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three weeks</a> to manage the state&#8217;s response to Hurricane Ian.
DeSantis received praise at the time for his response to Hurricane Ian, including from President Joe Biden.
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“What the governor’s done is pretty remarkable,” Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-praises-desantis-for-remarkable-response-to-hurricane-ian-i-think-hes-done-a-good-job" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “I think he’s done a good job.”
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DeSantis says that he is putting managing his state’s response to Hurricane Idalia about his presidential campaign and that “we’re going to do what we need to do because it’s just something that’s important.” <a href="https://t.co/Qdw25a3yaz">pic.twitter.com/Qdw25a3yaz</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1696638464085942501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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US-NEWS-WEA-IDALIA-3-OS

DeSantis Prioritizes Managing Florida Hurricane Response Over Presidential Campaign

Hurricane <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-an-escalating-forecast-tropical-storm-idalia-expected-to-hit-florida-as-major-hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idalia</a> is expected to careen into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> on Wednesday in a way not previously observed in recorded history, according to forecasters working for the federal government.
Although Sunshine State locals are very familiar with hurricanes, the Tallahassee office of the National Weather Service (NWS) warned on Tuesday that Idalia will &#8220;likely be an unprecedented event for many locations in the Florida Big Bend,&#8221; a moniker given to the region where the state&#8217;s panhandle connects to the peninsula along the Gulf Coast.
&#8220;Looking back through recorded history, NO major <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricanes</a> have ever moved through the Apalachee Bay. When you try to compare this storm to others, DON&#8217;T. No one has seen this,&#8221; the NWS office <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSTallahassee/status/1696544257451216896" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added in a post to X</a>.
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Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a> will likely be an unprecedented event for many locations in the Florida Big Bend. Looking back through recorded history, NO major hurricanes have ever moved through the Apalachee Bay. When you try to compare this storm to others, DON&#39;T. No one has seen this. <a href="https://t.co/m9X8dcarc5">pic.twitter.com/m9X8dcarc5</a>
&mdash; NWS Tallahassee (@NWSTallahassee) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSTallahassee/status/1696544257451216896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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A major hurricane is one that is Category 3 or above, according to the <a href="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshws.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale</a>. As of midday on Tuesday, the forecast called for Idalia&#8217;s center to make landfall over the Big Bend region somewhere between Panama City and Tampa early on Wednesday. Still, forecasters have cautioned that the storm&#8217;s bands and impacts stretch far beyond just the core. They have also said the predicted track of the storm may shift over time.
Heavy rain, flooding, storm surge <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1696539974072672413" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to 15 feet</a> above ground level, strong winds, and even tornados could affect Florida as well as neighboring states. After sweeping across Florida, Idalia may hug the coast and move northeast as a diminished system along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas after passing through Florida before curling out to the Atlantic Ocean by the end of the week.
Idalia, which <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1696446609121567205" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strengthened into a hurricane</a> early on Tuesday, has already drenched Havana, Cuba, and is intensifying as it moves over the warm waters of the Gulf Coast toward Florida.
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11 AM EDT 29 Aug <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Idalia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Idalia</a> strengthens, with catastrophic storm surge expected in the Big Bend region. Residents in these areas should follow any advice or evacuation orders given by local officials. Make sure to stay informed with latest updates at <a href="https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ">https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/MkORCjjpi6">pic.twitter.com/MkORCjjpi6</a>
&mdash; National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) <a href="https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1696539974072672413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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An assortment of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/evacuation-orders-issued-in-florida-as-idalia-approaches-hurricane-strength" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evacuation orders</a> have been given in counties in and around the Big Bend region. The NWS Tallahassee Office <a href="https://www.weather.gov/tae/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> preparations and evacuations &#8220;need to be rushed to completion&#8221; before sunset on Tuesday as conditions are expected to &#8220;rapidly&#8221; deteriorate into the evening.
Emergency shelters are opening up across parts of Florida, utility workers are <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hurricane-idalia-2023-duke-energy-outage-florida/#:~:text=A%20Florida%20utility%20is%20preparing,before%20making%20landfall%20on%20Wednesday." target="_blank" rel="noopener">preparing for widespread power outages</a>, and tolls have been suspended to facilitate travel. In addition, schools are closing across Florida, <a href="https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heres-where-you-can-pick-up-sandbags-seminole-county-officials-monitor-invest-93l/Q6HGNFOV6FFK3P43POUIQOS4RY/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sandbags</a> are being made available to residents, and Tampa International Airport <a href="https://news.tampaairport.com/tampa-international-airport-to-close-early-tuesday-ahead-of-potential-major-hurricane/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended commercial operations</a> on Tuesday.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692980418669000&amp;usg=AOvVaw15MNQZ1U33fOZBroIc4gYb">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;If you are under an evacuation order, remember that you do NOT need to drive hundreds of miles. Find higher ground and listen to your local officials,&#8221; Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said in a post to X.
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If you are under an evacuation order, remember that you do NOT need to drive hundreds of miles.
Find higher ground and listen to your local officials. <a href="https://t.co/ronwZCfxb4">pic.twitter.com/ronwZCfxb4</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1696530574587097269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The governor <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/27/desantis-pauses-campaigning-as-florida-faces-duel-crises-00113140" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paused his presidential campaign</a> and has been working to oversee the state&#8217;s efforts to prepare for the storm. Desantis has directed people to follow the <a href="https://twitter.com/FLSERT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida Division of Emergency Management</a> for the most up-to-date information and on Tuesday expanded the number of counties under a <a href="https://www.flgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/EO-23-175-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state of emergency to 49</a>.
President Joe Biden has also approved an emergency declaration for Florida, unlocking federal assistance for state, tribal, and local response efforts related to Idalia.

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