September 2, President Joe Biden visited affected regions of Florida to evaluate the extent of damage caused by Idalia. He is working with Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running for President in the upcoming election, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or the FEMA, to set up disaster relief plans for affected individuals. More populated regions of Florida, including Tallahassee, do not need extra aid due to the tides and wooded areas present during the hurricane’s development.
Hurricane Idalia, a category three storm, left the United States August 31 and is approaching the sea. Experts warn that Idalia could reach Bermuda as a tropical storm sometime between September 3 and September 9. On the same day that Idalia headed towards the Atlantic Ocean, atypically high tides and the hurricane combined to cause mild flooding in parts of South Carolina that are near the beach. In Charleston, North Carolina, moderate flooding occurred as the high tide reached unprecedented heights in recent history. The hurricane also caused a tornado in Charleston. Both of the Carolinas lost electricity during the hurricane.
Prior to reaching the Carolinas, the hurricane hit Georgia. Classified as a category three hurricane at the time, the Idalia hurricane uprooted trees and destroyed over 240,000 homes in Valdosta, Georgia. August 31, the day after the hurricane hit, parts of Georgia did not have electricity and roads were still closed. The hurricane hit other parts of Georgia August 30. In Savannah, Idalia brought excessive winds.
Idalia first made landfall in Florida August 30 as a category four hurricane. The hurricane hit the hardest near Florida’s Big Bend, or southwest Florida, in addition to the Gulf Coast. Idalia caused millions of people to lose power in their homes and the flooding of streets. People’s boats rushed out of docks and multiple buildings were engulfed by water. Homes and businesses were flooded and destroyed. Freeways, such as Interstate 275 in Tampa Bay, were inundated. Winds caused by Idalia led to additional destruction in areas near Interstate 75.
