The National Hurricane Center said late Tuesday that Hurricane Idalia had slightly shifted it’s projected path and was going to make landfall in the area of Apalachee Bay, which is near Tallahassee in the northeast Gulf of Mexico.
“Confidence is increasing that Idalia will reach the coast of Florida adjacent to Apalachee Bay Wednesday morning, with all of the reliable deterministic track models honed in on that area,” the hurricane center said in an advisory. A hurricane warning has been issued from Longboat Key to Indian Pass in Gulf County.
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“There is 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,” the advisory said. “Strong winds will also spread inland across portions of northern Florida and southern Georgia near the track of the center of Idalia where hurricane warnings are in effect. Residents in these areas should be prepared for long-duration power outages.”
The NHC also predicted “catastrophic impacts” of storm surge between the Aucilla River, which is southeast of Tallahassee, and Yankeetown in Levy County.
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The hurricane center also pointed out why Hurricane Idalia might 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’T. No one has seen this,” the center said.
The NWS Tampa Bay had earlier released an update that said: “Life-threatening storm surge inundation is likely elsewhere along the portions of the Florida Gulf Coast where a Storm Surge Warning is in effect. Residents in this area should follow any advice or evacuation orders given by local officials.”
The update also mentioned that the core of Idalia, with its destructive, life-threatening winds, is currently moving onshore in the Big Bend region of Florida. Portions of the Gulf Coast is under a Hurricane Warning and the low lying areas have been evacuated.