2023-08-31 21:02:00
Tropical Storm Idalia continues to leave a trail of devastation as it moves out to sea
A flooded street is seen in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on Wednesday, August 30. Isle of Palms Police Department/Archyde.com
A flooded street is seen in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on Wednesday, August 30. Isle of Palms Police Department/Archyde.com
After making landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning, Idalia battered parts of southeast Georgia and the Carolinas, inundating coastal areas and causing hundreds of thousands of power outages.
Idalia weakened to a tropical storm early Thursday, causing life-threatening flash flooding in parts of eastern North Carolina, the National Hurricane Center said.
Here are other Idalia developments first thing this Thursday:
About the Carolinas: The center of Tropical Storm Idalia was about 20 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph at 2 a.m. ET Thursday. The storm is forecast to move near the North Carolina coast later this Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said.
Floods in North Carolina: Between 2 and 5 inches of rain fell in southeastern parts of the state, including the Wilmington area, where a flash flood warning was in effect early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties were under advisory.
Flood Rescues: Rescuers rescued about 150 residents from flooded neighborhoods in hard-hit Pasco County, Florida, north of Tampa, the county fire marshal said.
Thousands of homes damaged: Between 4,000 and 6,000 homes were inundated with water in Florida’s Pasco County alone, according to county administrator Mike Carballa.
Historical water levels: Water in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor rose more than 9 feet, making it the fifth-highest level ever recorded, the National Weather Service said. Cedar Key, East Bay Tampa, Clearwater Beach, and St. Petersburg in Florida also experienced record storm surges.
Thousands of people in the dark: as of early Thursday morning, about 143,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida. Another 112,000 outages occurred in Georgia, about 31,000 in South Carolina and about 20,000 in North Carolina, according to the tracking site PowerOutage.us.
Residents are urged to stay indoors: Florida officials urge residents to avoid being outdoors as cleanup and search efforts continue. Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett cited the dangers of downed trees and power lines.
Boil Water Notice: some areas of DeSoto, Dixie, Leon, Levy, Marion and Taylor counties in Florida are under boil water advisories issued by the state health department.
Some school districts will reopen: at least 30 of the 52 school districts that closed before the storm will reopen Thursday, DeSantis said. Eight districts will reopen on Friday.
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