Hurricane Idalia forms. Gulf Coast braces for a direct hit
TreasureCoast.com – Hurricane Idalia is forecast to “rapidly intensify” ahead of a projected landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday as a major Category 3 hurricane , according to the National Hurricane Center.
Idalia became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday, was 320 miles south-southwest of Tampa Bay as of 8 a.m., traveling north at 14 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
The latest projections indicate that Idalia’s maximum sustained winds could reach up to 120 mph ahead of landfall.
“Rapid intensification is likely through landfall, and Idalia is forecast to become an extremely dangerous major hurricane before landfall on Wednesday,” the National Hurricane Center said in its latest outlook.