Hurricane Idalia Rapidly Intensifying To Florida

Hurricane Idalia is rapidly intensifying over the Gulf of Mexico, headed for a Florida Gulf Coast landfall Wednesday with catastrophic, life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds and flooding rain. Hurricane and tropical storm alerts: A hurricane warning is in effect for the areas shaded in purple in the map below. Other peak storm surge forecasts along the coast are shown in the map below:Advertisement -​Wakulla-Jefferson County line, Florida, to Yankeetown, Florida: 12-16 feet-​Ochlockonee River, Florida, to Wakulla-Jefferson County line, Florida: 8-12 feet-​Yankeetown to Chassahowitzka, Florida: 7-11 feet-​Chassahowitzka, Florida, to Anclote River, Florida: 6-9 feet-​Carrabelle, Florida, to Ochlockonee, Florida: 5-8 feet-​Anclote River, Florida, to middle of Longboat Key, Florida: 4-6 feet-​Tampa Bay: 4-6 feetStorm Surge ForecastFlooding rain is expected in Florida and the Southeast: H​eavy rain will continue into Thursday from Florida into parts of Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas. Hurricane force winds are expected to begin early Wednesday morning in hurricane warned areas of Florida. A few tornadoes may develop in rainbands ahead of Idalia along the west-central Florida coast and will spread into the Big Bend area into Wednesday morning.