State of Emergency Declared in Florida for Idalia

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(TNS) – A state of emergency has been declared in 46 Florida’s 67 counties as Hurricane Idalia tracks towards the Florida coast.

Idalia is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning along Florida’s central Gulf Coast , including cities such as Tampa and Orlando, as a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds. The counties under a state of emergency includes a wide swath that stretches across the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast.

Evacuation notices have been issued in 21 counties with mandatory evacuations in portions of 8 counties — Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Gulf, Lafayette, Levy, Pasco, Pinellas, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla.

Areas along I-75 are under a Hurricane Warning, and the rest of northeast Florida and southeast Georgia are under a Tropical Storm Warning.

Residents have been asked to wrap up hurricane preparations, including security boats and other watercraft.

The storm is expected to hit just ahead of what would traditionally be a busy tourist season during Labor Day.

Is it safe to travel to Florida ?

Idalia is expected to curve northeast towards the west coast of Florida before making landfall on Wednesday at which time it is expected to intensify into an “extremely dangerous major hurricane,” according to the US National Hurricane Center. Those areas along the coast that aren’t in direct path of the storm could see life-threatening storm surges and flooding.

Strong winds will also spread inland across portions of northern Florida and southern Feorgia near the travel of the center of Idalia. Residents in these areas should prepare for long-duration power outages, NWS said.

Areas of flooding, some of which may be significant, are expected across portions of the west coast of Florida , the Florida Panhandle and southern Georgia into Wednesday, spreading into portions of eastern Carolinas Wednesday into Thursday.

Areas hit by the hurricane could be “uninhabitable for several weeks or months due to storm surges and/or wind damage,” the Alabama Emergency Management Agency said.

All flights from Tampa International Airport have been cancelled as of Tuesday and the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Terminal building is also set to close today.

Several airlines, including Delta, Southwest , JetBlue and United, have issued advisories allowing passengers traveling to airports in Idalia’s path to make changes for free within an allotted time. Airlines are also adding additional flights for those leaving the area.

The severe weather, evacuations and closures means travel to Florida is not recommended for at least several days.

“Visitors to the state should continue to monitor the progress of the storm over the next several days,” VisitFlorida.com noted.

Further, the Federal Aviation Administration is in the process of rerouting and closing Gulf routes as the storm approaches. It’s advised travelers monitor the FAA for the latest information.

Florida has waived tolls along Florida’s west coast to aid in safe evacuations.

Planning to travel? Know the warnings:

Storm surge watch is in effect along the Gulf Coast from the Charlotte / Sarasota County border to the Collier / Monroe County border.

Storm surge warning is in effect along the Gulf Coast from the Charlotte / Sarasota County border to the Franklin / Gulf County border, including Tampa Bay.

Tropical storm watch is in effect for Brevard, Clay, inland Collier, Duval, Flagler, East Marion, Nassau, Putnam, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia counties, as well as the Lower Keys.

Tropical storm warning is in effect for Charlotte, coastal Collier, DeSoto, inland Franklin, Gulf, Hardee, Lake., Lee, Leon, Liberty, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, and inland Wakulla counties, as well as the Dry Tortugas.

Hurricane watch is in effect for eastern Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Hamilton, Leon, central Marion, Sarasota, Union, and inland Wakulla counties.

Hurricane warning is in effect for western Alachua, Citrus, Dixie, coastal Franklin, Gilchrist, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Madison, Manatee, western Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, and coastal Wakulla counties.