Updates: Tropical storm Idalia heads north after hitting Florida

While meteorologists initially speculated that Idalia could loop back south to hit the US coastline a second time, the storm is now expected to travel through North Carolina in the early hours of Thursday, before heading out to sea.

But before that happens, coastal communities will have to deal with the risks of increased flooding, as a blue supermoon – the second full moon this month – creates a particularly high “king” tide.

Idalia is now 95 kilometres (60 miles) west of Charleston, South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update.

The National Weather Service bureau in the city warned of widespread flooding and inundation, as waves battered the coast.

It also advised residents to be careful of the effects of tonight’s blue supermoon, which is causing higher tides due to its proximity to Earth.

“Astronomical high tide isn’t for another hour,” the service explained. “This tide is already in the top eight of peak tides on record.”

As of 7:30 pm, the tide level at the Charleston Harbor tide gauge was 2.89 ft MHHW (8.66 ft MLLW) and rising quickly. Astronomical high tide isn't for another hour. Widespread flooding and inundation ongoing. This tide is already in the top 8 of peak tides on record. #scwx #chswx

— NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC) August 30, 2023

As tropical storm Idalia sweeps northward, the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina, and its surrounding areas are experiencing high winds and waves.

“Major coastal inundation being reported at Edisto Beach and Downtown Charleston,” the National Weather Service said in a social media post.

“Water has breached the Charleston Battery,” the service continued, referring to the site of a Civil War-era defensive structure, now used as a seawall. “Dunes are breached at Edisto with water flowing under homes and onto roadways.”

Look at the waves destroying the dunes on Edisto Beach! Atlantic Ocean Water is flooding onto Palmetto Blvd. High tide there is 8:10pm! #chswx @NWSCharlestonSC @natwxdesk pic.twitter.com/kbc1XtTG2s

— Dave Williams (@LCWxDave) August 30, 2023

Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk has told local media that a man in Valdosta, Georgia, was killed while attempting to remove a fallen tree from a local roadway.

The victim had started to cut the tree in order to clear the blockage on Bemiss Road when a second tree fell, killing him and seriously injuring another person.

“The guy was out working on cleaning up a tree in the road, just a local citizen doing good things,” Paulk told The Associated Press. “A big gust of wind came up and dropped another tree, killed him instantly.”

Kevin Guthrie, the head of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, said that preliminary searches have been completed in 75 percent of the area affected by Idalia in the state, as rescue workers check for injury and death during the storm.

“Good news story: We are not finding anybody at home,” Guthrie said during a Wednesday evening press conference with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

“Many, many people heeded the warnings to evacuate, and we, so far, have not had any reports of any unconfirmed or confirmed fatalities related to any drowning or any flooding victims of that nature.”

He said his crews continue to sweep the area, and secondary searches are planned for Thursday.

The federal emergency disaster agency FEMA has said that it is working to enhance coordination between various federal agencies as they respond to Idalia and its aftermath.

Other agencies involved include the US Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force.

“At @POTUS’ direction, the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC, is fully activated,” FEMA said in a social media post.

“Our interagency partners – including @USNavy, @CivilAirPatrol, @USCG, and @usairforce – are coordinating Hurricane #Idalia efforts around the clock.”

Governor DeSantis said in a press conference on Wednesday evening that support from the federal government will help local authorities across the state with the task of debris removal and cleanup.

“That [federal assistance] is going to be important particularly if you’re talking about some of these reimbursements,” DeSantis said.

He added that he was optimistic that such assistance would be made available based on conversations with FEMA, the federal disaster agency, and the Biden administration.

“These are counties that are fiscally constrained counties, and so they’re going to need the support for reimbursement when you’re talking about some of the debris removal that’s going to need to be done.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) has said that a storm surge is expected along the southeastern US through Wednesday night. Tropical storm-level winds are also anticipated in some coastal areas.

“Storm surge is expected along the southeastern US coast within the Storm Surge Warning area through tonight,” NWS said in a social media post.

“Coastal flooding is also expected within the Storm Surge Watch area in North Carolina on Thursday.  Residents in these areas should follow any advice given by local officials.”

5pm EDT #Idalia update:

Storm surge is expected along the southeastern U.S. coast within the Storm Surge Warning area through tonight. Coastal flooding is also expected within the Storm Surge Watch area in North Carolina on Thursday. Residents in these areas should follow any… pic.twitter.com/0D3kB4CzSx

— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 30, 2023

Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, warned residents in the southeastern US to remain alert, even though Idalia has been downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm.

“While Idalia has lost the designation of a hurricane, it is no less risky for the people in the path of this system,” he said in a livestream on Wednesday evening.

He pointed out that Idalia is still producing a “shield” of rain and heavy wind as it moves northwards into South Carolina.

“This is not like typical rain. This is very heavy rainfall, capable of producing flooding. And it has had a history of producing significant flooding down here, over southern Georgia, throughout the day,” he explained. “You can see the flood warnings now starting to move into South Carolina as well.”

The flooding rains are “often one of the deadliest components of a hurricane”, he added, pointing out numerous tornado warnings in the region as well.

“The bottom line is: Not a good night to be driving about here in the eastern half of South Carolina,” Rhome said.

The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport has announced a pause in its outbound flights, effective through the end of Wednesday.

Nevertheless, the airport remains open as Idalia pummels the southeastern US.

The airport serves a touristy region close to the border between Georgia and South Carolina.

The airport is open and operational, but flights out of SAV have been cancelled for the rest of the day. Passengers should continue to check with their airline for rebooking options. pic.twitter.com/Ro9VAYiV4a

— SAV Airport (@fly_SAV) August 30, 2023

As Hurricane Idalia tore across Florida, travelling northeast from the Gulf coast, trees snapped in neighbourhoods across the state – including one in the governor’s own backyard.

A gigantic century-old oak tree, covered in Spanish moss and ferns, struck the historic Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee, Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis resides with his family.

His wife, former journalist Casey DeSantis, shared a photo of the collapsed giant on social media, saying she and her children were at home at the time of the fall – but were otherwise unharmed.

100 year old oak tree falls on the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee — Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured.

Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm. pic.twitter.com/l6MOE8wNMC

— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) August 30, 2023

The National Hurricane Center has said that Idalia is now categorised as a tropical storm, though heavy winds and rainfall continue to batter the southeastern US.

“Tropical Storm #Idalia Advisory 17: Idalia Now a Tropical Storm,” the NHC said in a social media post.

“Risk of Freshwater Flooding, Storm Surge, and Strong Winds Continues Across Portions of Georgia and the Carolinas.”

Tropical Storm #Idalia Advisory 17: Idalia Now a Tropical Storm. Risk of Freshwater Flooding, Storm Surge, and Strong Winds Continues Across Portions of Georgia and the Carolinas. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023

The federal disaster agency FEMA has warned that storm surge along the Florida coast remains possible, urging residents in impacted areas to stay vigilant.

“Florida: Storm surge is still possible as the tide comes in tonight. Don’t let your guard down. For your safety, monitor updates from local officials,” FEMA said in a social media post.

“If your area has an active Storm Surge Watch or Warning, stay indoors, away from coastal areas.”

Florida: Storm surge is still possible as the tide comes in tonight. Don't let your guard down. For your safety, monitor updates from local officials.

If your area has an active Storm Surge Watch or Warning, stay indoors, away from coastal areas. pic.twitter.com/ffIt3GPgSN

— FEMA (@fema) August 30, 2023

Governor Ron DeSantis said he has heard initial reports of looting in parts of Florida impacted by the storm and has told state authorities to “protect people’s property”.

“We’re not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster. I mean, it’s just ridiculous that you’d try to do something like that on the heels of an almost Category 4 hurricane,” DeSantis said in a news conference.

DeSantis also seemed to suggest that people may use firearms to ward off any suspected thieves.

“I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters, and I would say probably here, ‘You loot, we shoot,'” he said.

Utility workers have restored power for more than 260,000 households in Florida, according to Governor DeSantis, after Idalia knocked out electricity across the state.

“Utility linemen are currently working to bring back power across the state following Hurricane #Idalia,” DeSantis said in a social media post.

According to the website PowerOutage.us, nearly 278,000 households remain without power in Florida, along with more than 175,000 in Georgia and 10,373 in South Carolina.

Utility linemen are currently working to bring back power across the state following Hurricane #Idalia.
 
They have already restored power to more than 260,000 households that lost power due to the storm. pic.twitter.com/OCOHlWpHZh

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 30, 2023

Florida’s Gulf Coast, southeastern Georgia and eastern parts of North and South Carolina could face 10-20cm (four to eight inches) of rain through Thursday, with isolated areas seeing more, the National Hurricane Center has warned.

Georgia authorities were monitoring the system as it entered the state.

“Hopefully, it’s out of the state by 8pm this evening [00:00 GMT on Thursday], maybe 10 o’clock [02:00 GMT on Thursday], and then that we can begin to assess for those that were hit first,” James C Stallings, director of the state’s Emergency Management Agency, said at a briefing.

Authorities in St Petersburg, Florida, say they have rescued more than 75 people from rising floodwaters.

A video posted by the city on social media showed two rescue workers in a small boat travelling through a flooded neighbourhood in heavy rains.

https://twitter.com/StPeteFL/status/1696948097161548114

Government agencies are warning residents in the southern US that unusual weather conditions created by Hurricane Idalia could result in tornadoes.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tornado warning for parts of North and South Carolina, which is expected to stay in effect until 10pm local time on Wednesday (02:00 GMT on Thursday).

“Hurricane #Idalia may bring tornadoes to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Have a plan to stay safe. Identify a safe place to shelter and stay aware of local weather conditions,” the environment department at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, the NWS in Tallahassee, Florida said the tornado risk in the area has decreased.

Hurricane #Idalia may bring tornadoes to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Have a plan to stay safe. Identify a safe place to shelter and stay aware of local weather conditions.

More information about #tornado safety: https://t.co/vWFIjaHU9L pic.twitter.com/3zrvgEkQhS

— CDC Environment (@CDCEnvironment) August 30, 2023

US President Joe Biden connected the current storm and recent wildfires in Hawaii to climate change, which has driven extreme weather events to deadly new heights across the globe.

“I don’t think anybody can deny the impact of the climate crisis anymore,” Biden said. “Just look around: historic floods, more intense droughts, extreme heat, significant wildfires that cause significant damage like we’ve never seen before – not just in the Hawaiian islands, but in Canada and other parts of the world.”

US President Joe Biden has said that he is in contact with the leaders of states impacted by the storm, and that he has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to redeploy resources throughout the southeastern US.

“I let each governor I spoke with know, if there’s anything, anything the states need right now, I’m ready to mobilise that support of what they need,” Biden said during an update.

I spoke with Govs. DeSantis, Kemp, McMaster, and Cooper to reiterate my Administration's support for response and recovery in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina as Idalia makes landfall.

We'll keep working with personnel on the ground as the storm progresses. pic.twitter.com/pTbmU406q3

— President Biden (@POTUS) August 30, 2023