National Hurricane Center Warns Florida of 10–15 Foot Storm Surges, Strong Winds Inland

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is warning of storm surges of 10–15 feet in some areas of Florida as hurricane Idalia makes landfall, warning residents of “destructive life-threatening winds” across the state.

“Catastrophic impacts from storm surge inundation of 10 to 15 feet above ground level and destructive waves are expected somewhere between Aucilla River and Yankeetown, Florida,” the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) 11 a.m. update of the storm reads, warning that “life-threatening storm surge inundation” is likely for portions of the Gulf Coast.

Further, the NHC warns of the potential for “destructive life-threatening winds where the core of Idalia moves onshore in the Big Bend region of Florida, with hurricane conditions expected elsewhere in portions of the Hurricane Warning area along the Florida Gulf Coast.”

However, the NHC warns that strong winds will also affect other portions of the state outside of the west coast, spreading inland up to northern Florida and southern Georgia as well. It urges residents in these area to “be prepared for long-duration power outages.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke to that point during Tuesday morning’s briefing on the storm, noting that 25,000 linemen are ready to go with “more on the way.” He estimated that there will ultimately be between 30,000 and 40,000 linemen ready to respond.

Currently, a large portion of the west coast of Florida is under a Hurricane Warning or Tropical Storm Warning, but the Tropical Storm warning also spans all the way to portions of the east coast of the state as well.