According to the National Hurricane Center's 5 p.m. update, Idalia has now strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane, with a track that continues to push slightly further west of Tampa Bay, and likely touching down in the Big Bend region.
As of now, Idalia is located about 195 miles southwest of Tampa, moving 16 mph with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
Idalia is expected to rapidly intensify into a major Category 3 storm or higher with upwards of 125 mph winds before it makes landfall early Wednesday morning.
Most of Florida's West coast is under a hurricane and storm surge warning.
Residents of Tampa Bay can expect between 4 to 8 inches of rain, with some areas receiving more. However, "life threatening" storm surge continues to be the big threat for Tampa Bay, as we're on the "dirty side" of the system, says the NHC.
Forecasters say there's a potential of 4-12 foot storm surge from Tampa Bay northward. Also, heavy rainfall is likely, as well as hurricane-force wind from late Tuesday into Wednesday.#Idalia Resources: The latest storm forecasts, safety information, maps, imagery and more. 🌀⚠️💻⛈️
— NWS Tampa Bay (@NWSTampaBay) August 29, 2023
Everything is together on this webpage for your convenience. https://t.co/3qnPaJVsuq
Remain informed and be safe! #FLwx #HurricaneReady
Effective as of Monday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m, mandatory evacuations are currently place for residents of Pinellas County that live in Zone A, including all mobile homes. In Hillsborough County, mandatory evacuations are in place for residents in Zone A, as well as those in mobile and manufactured homes and residents in low-lying areas prone to flooding.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay will keep an updated list of local shelters, sandbag locations and closures here.
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