At least two men have lost their lives in separate incidents caused by Hurricane Idalia which sweeps through Florida.

A 59-year-old man has died after falling into a ditch at Keaton Beach and crashed into a nearby tree line.

In Pasco County, ea 40-year-old man who was driving his truck “at a high speed for the conditions“, lost control and crashed into a tree.

According to the latest reports, the situation is extremely difficult in the city of Hudson, Pascoe County, which has been flooded and a good number of residents are trapped inside their homes. The area had been evacuated, however some decided to remain in their properties and are now at risk from the water level, which has risen to extremely dangerous levels. Some were rescued in boats while others refused to leave.

The hurricane Idalia hit Florida today with winds of 175 km/h. at the time and as the authorities report the conditions it causes are potentially life-threatening.

It is the strongest hurricane in the Big Bend area in more than 125 years. It has caused flooding in coastal areas and left nearly 264,000 Floridians without power.

The center of Hurricane Idalia passed and in south Georgia with winds of 150 km. on the hour according to the National Hurricane Center. It is about 20 kilometers south of the city of Valdosta in Georgia, with water levels along the Gulf Coast rising.

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The local office of the National Weather Service in Florida’s capital, Tallahassee, says the river level in the town of Steinhatchee rose from 1 foot to 8 feet in an hour.

More than 900 flights were canceled by US airlines as a result of Hurricane Idalia this afternoon, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Several airlines, including Southwest, Delta, JetBlue, American Airlines and United canceled flights and advised passengers to make changes to travel plans.

Tampa International Airport and other regional airports suspended commercial operations Tuesday ahead of Idalia’s arrival.

The hurricane that was downgraded in the meantime at Category 1 on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, accompanied by sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour but forecast to further downgrade to a tropical stormovernight, as it moves along the coasts of South and North Carolina.

On the west coast of Florida, the streets of most towns were deserted and, in several cases, flooded. In Steinhatch, the main street resembled a river. A 73-year-old man who ignored the evacuation order and stayed in his home, Patrick Boland, said trees fell in his neighborhood but the house was spared. “Everything went well,” he told AFP, visibly relieved.

At Sidar Ki the waves exceeded 2 meters in height. “Everything is flooded,” Shelly Boivin, the manager of the Beach Front Motel, which sits on the resort’s beach, told CNN. “I just saw the picnic tables get washed away by the river flowing down the road,” he said.

Flooding was also reported in Clearwater, in Tampa and other areas, where the remaining residents were forced to move to higher elevations by crossing the waters. “The flooding we’re experiencing now is nothing compared to what’s going to happen in a few hours,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor warned, explaining that sea levels will rise in the next few hours.

More than 286,000 households were without power this morning (local time) across Florida, according to the specialist website Poweroutage.us.