We come on the air with breaking news and the new storm track from the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Idalia is now a category two packing sustained winds near 100mph and gaining strength. The life-threatening storm is set to make landfall first thing tomorrow morning, but parts of Florida are getting heavy rain and winds right now. Extremely warm water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, largely from climate change and those persistent heat dome this summer are fueling this hurricane. Forecasters predict this storm could turn catastrophic, wiping out coastal communities along a section of the Gulf Coast. And it could be, and it probably will be the strongest storm to hit what’s called the Big Bend region, ever. And we are now learning Idalia will also hit Georgia and possibly South Carolina as a hurricane. Millions are under evacuation orders and thirty counties with life-threatening storm surge of ten to fifteen feet expected in some areas. To truly get a sense of the storm, take a look at this image from space. It spans some four hundred miles wide.

We are starting to see some rain here in North Central Florida. But for residents who stayed behind, the Citrus County Sheriff just told me that once sustained winds reach forty-five miles an hour, his deputy cannot safely go out. So, if a resident has a problem, they are going to wait after the storm passes. Idalia’s initial impact was felt from the Florida Keys up to Tampa. High winds, heavy rains and some floodings. The eye of the storm is taking aim at the Big Bend region of Florida Gulf Coast which is bracing for hurricane force winds of at least one hundred eleven miles per hour. Authorities urgently telling residents in mobile homes and areas prone to flooding to get out now. Evacuation orders have been issued for more than two dozen counties. In Cedar Key, there’s only one bridge to get on and off the island. Some fear those staying behind could be trapped after the storm. Preparing for the worse, patients are being moved out of hospitals and care centers, close to one hundred of the most vulnerable have been evacuated to higher ground.