ROANOKE, Va. – 7:45 a.m. Update - Wednesday
Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach, Florida around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday. It is a major, Category 3 storm with central winds around 125 mph.
7 a.m. Update - Wednesday
Idalia is nearing landfall north of Cedar Key, Florida as a major Category 3 hurricane as of 7 a.m. The storm has undergone an “eyewall replacement cycle,” meaning that hurricane-force winds are extending farther out minutes before landfall.
5 a.m. Update - Wednesday
The National Hurricane Center says Idalia is a Category 4 storm as of 5 a.m. Wednesday. The storm is forecast to make landfall this morning as a Category 4. Catastrophic storm surge, flooding and extreme wind are all forecast for Florida’s Big Bend.
2 a.m. Update - Wednesday
Idalia is a major hurricane hours away from landfall along Florida’s Big Bend.
Catastrophic storm surge, destructive wind and flooding are all on the table for this portion of the Sunshine State Wednesday.
It is a Category 3 storm, but the National Hurricane Center says it could make landfall as a Category 4 Wednesday morning.
5 a.m. Update - Tuesday
The National Hurricane Center says that Idalia has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as of its 5 a.m. update Tuesday.
It is forecast to make landfall along Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 3 storm Wednesday morning.
5 p.m. Update - Monday
Idalia, as of 5 p.m. EDT Monday, is a strong tropical storm smack dab between Cuba and Mexico.
By threading the needle between the two countries, the storm will have time to strengthen over exceptionally warm Gulf waters on Monday and Tuesday.
Experts at the National Hurricane Center are now forecasting the storm to be a Category 3 hurricane around landfall Wednesday morning in Florida’s Big Bend.
Hurricane watches & warnings have been issued as of the 5:00 PM advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
Monday Morning Update
Idalia will be the fourth hurricane to make landfall in Florida since 2021, though several other tropical systems have impacted the Sunshine State in some way, shape or form (rain, rip currents, wind gusts, etc.).
Once it interacts with land, the storm will weaken before re-emerging near the East Coast late Wednesday into early Thursday. A front to our north will likely guide the tropical system south of here.
That said, any slight jog northward could bring rain to areas south of the Roanoke Valley Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
In any case, significant impacts from Idalia are unlikely in Southwest and Central Virginia.
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