Hurricane Idalia Now Projects as Cat-4 Hurricane at Landfall This Morning
The National Hurricane Center has updated with new information about Hurricane Idalia…and it’s scary stuff.
Hurricane Idalia 2 A.M. Update on August 30th
Credit: NOAA
MickeyBlog’s Kristin Sabol previously confirmed that Hurricane Idalia has reached Category 2 status as a hurricane.
So, we’re now talking about an actual hurricane rather than a tropical storm. That’s obviously much worse.
Still, some hurricanes are worse than others, which is why we have the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. Here’s how it categorizes hurricanes:
Source: ABC News
- Category 1: winds of 74-95 miles per hour
- Category 2: winds of 96-110 miles per hour
- Category 3: winds of 111-129 miles per hour
- Category 4: winds of 130-156 miles per hour
- Category 5: wind force of at least 157 miles per hour
So, a Cat-2 hurricane maxes out at 110 miles per hour.
That had been the level of Hurricane Idalia as of the 11 p.m. update on Tuesday evening. It was hovering at 110 miles per hour, just beneath Cat-3 status.
Credit: NOAA via The New York Times
At 2 a.m. EST, the latest update tracked Hurricane Idalia at 120 miles per hour, escalating its severity to a Cat-3 hurricane.
By 9 a.m. tomorrow, the National Hurricane Center projects Hurricane Idalia to make landfall as a Cat-4.
If true, the wind force would increase to at least 130 miles per hour and possibly even higher.
Credit: NOAA
According to the latest update, Florida’s so-called Big Bend section could face a storm surge as high as “12 to 16 feet above ground level.”
As CNN points out, a surge that high would be tall enough to swallow a bus.
That’s how scary this weather event is for affected Floridians as well as some parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
The Current Forecast for Hurricane Idalia
Credit: NOAA
(As an FYI, this post includes the information from the National Weather Center’s 2 a.m. EST update.)
Depending on what happens next, Hurricane Idalia could make landfall as early as 6 a.m. or as late as 9 a.m.
So, we have a three-hour window of uncertainty here. Please plan accordingly if you’re in any of the impacted regions.
Speaking of which, the current projections suggest landfall will occur somewhere south of Perry, Florida, a place almost exactly 200 miles from Walt Disney World.
Hurricane #Idalia Advisory 14A: Idalia Rapidly Intensifies Into a Major Hurricane. Catastrophic Storm Surge and Destructive Winds Expected in The Florida Big Bend Region This Morning When Idalia Moves Inland. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023
Here’s an updated quote on its expected path/trajectory:
“A northward to north-northeastward motion is expected through morning, with Idalia’s center forecast to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida this morning.
After landfall, Idalia is forecast to turn toward the northeast and east-northeast, moving near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina late today and Thursday.”
Hurricane #Idalia is producing Tropical Storm conditions along the west coast of Florida. Hurricane conditions will begin in the Big Bend area in the next few hours. The 1am position update is available at https://t.co/DA3SfcSPB2 pic.twitter.com/J67K6sIv0U
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023
As usual, Disney’s Central Florida location should shield it from the brunt of Hurricane Idalia.
I say should because there are no guarantees with weather, but Disney avoided the worst with Hurricane Ian last year.
Speaking of which, that hurricane made landfall as a Cat-4 as well.
The National Hurricane Center has tracked only five hurricanes that have ever reached land as Cat-5 in the Continental United States.
That statement should help you understand the severity of a Cat-4 hurricane. This is about as bad as it gets.
Despite this fact, the Orlando International Airport remains open, and Walt Disney World has yet to adjust operating hours at any of its theme parks.
Blizzard Beach
As a reminder, MickeyBlog reported yesterday that Walt Disney World’s water parks and mini-golf courses won’t open today, though.
Thus far, those are the only confirmed closures, but you should keep reading MickeyBlog all day to stay informed about potential disruptions to the current schedule.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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