Idalia Impacts Cuba Ahead of Projected 'Major' Florida Landfall

Facts

• On Monday, Tropical Storm Idalia bore down on the western regions of Cuba, bringing high winds and the threat of flash flooding and landslides.¹
• Idalia is expected to intensify rapidly before making landfall in Florida as a "major" hurricane early this week. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the storm will impact areas from Tampa to Tallahassee while warning that other areas are also at risk.²
• Idalia could bring up to 11 feet (3 meters) of storm surge to parts of Florida’s coast with winds around 115 mph (185 km/hr) with uncertainty still in the forecast.³
• Florida’s Big Bend — [the area where the state’s panhandle transitions into the peninsula] — could be most affected by Idalia along with the southwestern coast and areas west of Tallahassee. Counties such as Duval announced school closures.⁴
• Pres. Joe Biden authorized an emergency declaration for the state Monday ahead of expected landfall, with Florida officials setting up evacuation teams with 5.5K National Guard members ready to respond.⁵
• Gov. DeSantis told Floridians that they should be prepared to lose power and urged people to seek higher ground if told to evacuate. The storm could bring significant rainfall to Florida, as well as parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.⁵

Sources: ¹Time, ²NBC, ³CNN, ⁴Tallahassee Democrat, and ⁵Reuters.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Newsweek. Idalia is rapidly strengthening, and the storm could create one of the most deadly hurricanes in recent memory. Floridians must do all they can to prepare for this storm, which will likely devastate multiple communities. Idalia is currently projected to reach Category 3, with some experts projecting even higher. This storm is very unpredictable, and the public should prepare for the worst.
• Narrative B, as provided by News-Press. While Floridians should certainly be prepared for Idalia and listen to the advice of public officials, Floridians are well-prepared and resilient and shouldn't panic. There is also an excellent system of emergency management in the Sunshine State. It's of paramount importance to prepare, but there are also reasons for optimism for a successful response.

Predictions