The National Hurricane Center said Monday that Tropical Storm Idalia is gathering speed as it barrels toward Cuba and the west coast of Florida, prompting Gov. Ron DeSantis to declare a state of emergency in 33 counties along the Gulf coast.
The NHC said Idalia is carrying maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour at present. But the agency expects that to accelerate over the coming hours and to upgrade the storm to a 'dangerous major hurricane' over the northeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Wednesday morning.
By that time, the NHC said, Idalia could develop into a Category 3 hurricane with wind speeds of 115 miles per hour and 11 feet of storm surge.
The NHC also updated its public advisory to issue hurricane warnings for coastal Florida areas stretching from Longboat Key northward to the Ochlockonee River and the broader Tampa area.
"A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within the next 12-24 hours," the NHC said. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."
"The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NHC added. "The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide."
DeSantis, who won praise from many Floridians for his handling of Hurricane Ian in September of last year, signed an executive order Saturday "out of an abundance of caution." The order enables the Florida Division of Emergency Management to begin early preparations.
“I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked," DeStantis said.
The NHC currently expects the storm to make landfall near Tampa, near the middle of Florida's Gulf coast, but late changes to its tracking model could see Idalia move northeast towards key oil drilling installations near New Orleans, causing mandatory evacuations and production delays.
WTI crude futures contracts for October delivery, which are tightly linked to U.S. gasoline prices, were marked 31 cents higher in overnight trading and changing hands at $80.14 per barrel.
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