Florida today began assessing the damage left by Idalia, which caused widespread flooding as it continues its destructive path toward the southeastern US coast.

After passing through Florida, Idalia was downgraded to a tropical storm before making landfall in the neighboring state of Georgia, bringing torrential rains with up to 25 cm of rain. The rise of the waters threatens the inhabitants of the coastal areas, while there have also been interruptions in the electricity supply.

This morning more than 310,000 households in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were still without power, according to the specialist website PowerOutage.us.

Florida State Patrol said two people were killed in separate crashes early Wednesday due to heavy rains, but before Idalia reached the state.

Rescue services will need time to assess the extent of damage in the isolated areas, which are difficult to access due to fallen trees or rising waters, authorities warned.

Typhon

Idalia arrived in Florida on Wednesday at 07:45 local time with sustained winds of up to 215 kilometers per hour and caused water to rise up to 5 meters in some coastal areas, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. ) in Miami.

When it hit Florida it was a Category 3 hurricane on the five-point Saffir-Simpson scale, but it has since weakened. By the time it reached Georgia and South Carolina, winds had dropped to about 100 kilometers per hour.

“There are still a lot of flooded areas in the city,” Ben Almquist, director of emergency response for Charleston, South Carolina, told CNN.

Typhon

Flooded roads and rescues

Authorities expect a significant improvement in weather conditions starting this morning, local time.

“Everything is expected to improve after midnight Wednesday,” predicted Ron Morales of the Charleston-based weather service.

According to forecasts, Italia is expected to complete its course in the Atlantic Ocean during today’s day.

National Guard members rescued stranded drivers in Taylor and Hernando counties, Florida, while other teams waded through flooded streets in St. Petersburg in boats rescuing dozens of people trapped in their homes.

Corresponding boat rescues were also held in Georgia.

But Idalia was less destructive and deadly than Hurricane Ian, a Category 5 storm that hit Florida in September 2022, killing 150 people, according to US government figures.

Also, all bridges in the affected areas of Florida remain intact and the 52 school districts that had suspended classes announced that students would return to their schools as normal today.

Climate change

Idalia was strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane early Tuesday, one day after it hit Cuba. There it caused torrential rains and floods, while more than 200,000 households are without electricity. However, there were no casualties on the island.

It is the fourth major hurricane to hit Florida in the past four years, following Irma in 2017, Michael in 2018 and Ian, which reached Category 5 in September. Because of Ian, nearly 150 people died in Southwest Florida, and serious property damage was also caused.

Scientists have warned that the intensity of storms will increase as the planet warms due to climate change.

“I don’t think you can deny the effects of climate change anymore. All he has to do is look around,” US President Joe Biden pointed out, referring to the “historic floods” and recent devastating fires in Hawaii and Canada.