State authorities said the hurricane and its ocean-level rise is a rare phenomenon in the region, and ordered massive evacuations.
Although there were no immediate reports of deaths, Florida officials warned that it could take some time to reach remote areas cut off from roads due to falling trees or high water, especially in the area where the hurricane made landfall.
The US National Hurricane Center said that “Idalia”, which it described as “extremely dangerous”, struck the US coast with the force of a category three hurricane, in the swampy and sparsely populated Big Bend area of Florida, at about 7:45 am (11:45 am). tg).
He added that the storm had come ashore with maximum winds of 215 kilometers per hour near the town of Keaton Beach, with the water level likely to rise to about 5 meters in some coastal areas.
Although the hurricane lost its strength as it moved inland and over Georgia, becoming a category one hurricane, the authorities warned of its consequences and the dangers of high tides.
The National Hurricane Center said the water level was more than 6 feet higher than normal at Cedar Key, a chain of islands that overlooks the bay, and warned that waters along the coast were “rising rapidly.”
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