A flooded street in Crystal River, Florida. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A flooded street in Crystal River, Florida. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Live feedGeorgia governor Brian Kemp has issued a state of emergency for the state that is set to last until 11.59pm on 8 September.
“We are taking every precaution ahead of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall tomorrow, and I am taking this additional executive action to ensure state assets are ready to respond,” Kemp said on Tuesday ahead of Idalia.
“Georgians in the expected impact area can and should take necessary steps to ensure their safety and that of their families. We are well positioned to respond to whatever Idalia may bring,” he added.
The executive order said that Idalia “has the potential to produce severe impacts to citizens throughout south-central and southeast coastal Georgia”, and that potential flooding, downed trees, power lines, and debris may render “Georgia’s network of roads impassable in affected counties, isolating residences and persons from access to essential public services.”
Key events
2h agoChatham county to feel peak of storm between now and 9pm
4h agoWith searches 75% complete, no confirmed deaths in Florida
4h agoToday so far
4h agoIdalia weakens to tropical storm
8h agoBiden: ‘I don’t think anybody can deny the impact of a climate crisis’
9h agoJoe Biden to give update on Hurricane Idalia
9h agoGeorgia and the Carolinas to experience impacts throughout day and into weekend, says Fema chief
9h agoMore than 360,000 homes in Florida and Georgia without power
10h agoNo confirmed storm-related fatalities in Florida, says governor
10h agoMore than 250,000 homes without power in Florida, says governor
10h agoFlorida governor Ron DeSantis holds briefing in Tallahassee
10h agoIdalia’s core now in southern Georgia
11h agoTwo storm-related deaths in Florida, says highway patrol
11h agoRare blue supermoon could raise tides to exacerbate Idalia storm surge
11h agoIdalia weakens to category 1 hurricane
12h agoHurricane Idalia tracker: where will it go next?
12h agoIdalia’s wind speeds near 105 mph and spreading into southern Georgia
13h agoMore than 245,000 customers in Florida without power
13h agoIdalia returns to category 2 hurricane, ‘damaging’ winds spreading inland over northern Florida
14h agoJoe Biden to speak about Hurricane Idalia today
15h agoHurricane Idalia makes landfall in Florida
15h agoIdalia returns to category 3 hurricane
15h agoFlorida residents should ‘hunker down until it gets past you’, warns Governor DeSantis
16h agoStorm could land in just over an hour, says Florida governor Ron DeSantis
16h agoIdalia forecast to hit Florida as a category 4 storm with ‘catastrophic’ storm surge
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More from that Reuters insurance story:
Citizens Property Insurance Corp, Florida’s non-profit, state-backed insurance provider that is seen as an “insurer of last resort”, has been gaining market share since 2022 as primary insurers reduce their exposure to the Florida market, UBS said in its note.
Citizens said on Wednesday it is well-capitalized to fund claims from policy holders whose properties are damaged by storms.
“There’s no issue with us paying claims to policy holders,” said Michael Peltier, a spokesperson for Citizens Property Insurance.
Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Ajit Jain said in May that he was happy with the reinsurance the conglomerate had written, but that Berkshire had an “unbalanced portfolio” and a big Florida hurricane would cause a “very substantial loss,” according to a CNBC transcript of the event.
Berkshire did not respond to a request for comment.
Florida has a large number of very small, thinly capitalised insurers, insurance experts told Reuters.
Some insurance firms including Farmers Insurance, Bankers Insurance and Lexington Insurance, a unit of AIG, have already pulled out of Florida because of the risk of heavy losses, according to a July USA Today report.
A spokesperson for Farmers on Wednesday said that it had notified the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation of its decision to discontinue offering Farmers-branded auto, home, and umbrella policies in the state.
“This business decision was necessary to effectively manage risk exposure,” the spokesperson said. “Farmers offers insurance through several different brands, and this decision applies only to policies issued through our exclusive agency distribution channel.”
Lexington/AIG declined to comment, while Bankers Insurance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters has spoken to Perry resident Thomas Demps, a Taylor County commissioner:
Demps, 80, let out a long, stunned whistle and several exclamations of “Oh, my!” as he walked around Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Perry on Wednesday afternoon.
The church took a beating, Perry said, with missing shingles, portions of outside walls torn away and water standing on the floor.
“This is the worst storm I’ve ever seen here, never seen it this bad,” said Demps, a retired industrial mechanic.
Here are some photos of the damage in Perry, Florida, a small, historic city about 15 miles inland from the coast where Hurricane Idalia made landfall:
Trees and power lines block city streets, in Perry, Florida, in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia. Photograph: John Raoux/APHope Laird looks at the wreckage of a gas station near her home after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Perry, Florida, 30 August 30, 2023. Photograph: Cheney Orr/ReutersStorage trailers displaced by Hurricane Idalia at Perry-Foley Airport, following the storm’s passage, Wednesday, 30 August 2023, in Perry, Florida. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/APMore now on what Idalia means for Americ’a’s insurance companies, via Reuters:
“Historically, what happens when you have these hurricanes is that everyone gets worried about the liability following the hurricane,” said Thomas Hayes, chairman and managing member of Great Hill Capital LLC in New York, adding that insurers typically end up being able to raise prices after such events.
The impact could have a knock-on effect on reinsurers, which insure insurance companies, and have been raising rates in recent years because of steepening losses that industry players partly attribute to the impact of climate change. Higher reinsurance rates can affect the premiums that insurers charge their customers.
Nationally, US reinsurance rates for policies that had claims for natural catastrophes rose 30%-50% during July renewals, while in Florida the increase was 30%-40%, reinsurance broker Gallagher Re said in July.
Insurers were expected to face claims for billions of dollars from Hurricane Idalia, adding to a challenging year for the industry that could result in higher premiums for customers, Reuters reports.
In Florida, UBS bank estimated average insured losses of $9.36bn with a 50% chance of losses of over $4.05bn and a 10% likelihood of losses of $25.6bn, based on data from 28 August. The wide range reflects potential changes in the storm’s intensity and path.
At about $10bn, Idalia would cost insurers less than 10 of the costliest hurricanes to hit the United States.
The Associated Press has spoken to a resident in Perry, a mill town located just inland from the Big Bend region where Idalia came ashore.
“All hell broke loose,” Belond Thomas said.
Thomas, a 41-year-old worker at the town’s paper mill, fled with her family and some friends to a motel, thinking it would be safer than riding out the storm at home. But as Idalia‘s eye passed over about 8.30am, a loud whistling noise pierced the air and the high winds ripped the building’s roof off, sending debris down on her pregnant daughter, who was lying in bed. Fortunately, she was not injured.
“It was frightening,” Thomas said. “Things were just going so fast … Everything was spinning.”
Chatham county to feel peak of storm between now and 9pmEmergency services in Chatham county have warned residents to expect the most severe impacts from the tropical storm between now and 9pm. It is currently just past 8pm local time.
“The greatest impact to Chatham county could be rainfall, with predictions of one inch, coastal flooding, and rip currents. Areas prone to flooding are at risk of flooding with the arrival of Idalia. Tides at Fort Pulaski are predicted to be 10.1ft. A risk of severe weather, including tornadoes spawned by Idalia still exists. Potential of strong tropical storm winds with higher gusts,” Emergency Management Chatham county writes on its website.
It urges residents to ensure they are monitoring their phone and email for updates.
Chatham county public works employee Richard McCoy puts barrels, cones and road closure signs out for the police department in preparation for Hurricane Idalia. Photograph: Stephen B Morton/APHello, this is Helen Sullivan with the latest developments as Idalia hits the south-eastern United States.
Here are some more images of the flooding and damage from Idalia so far.
Rescue volunteers work in Keaton Beach. Photograph: Marco Bello/ReutersIn an aerial view of Crystal River, Florida, a vehicle drives through a flooded street in the downtown area after Hurricane Idalia passed offshore. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesA vehicle is partially submerged after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia in Cedar Key, Florida. Photograph: Julio Cesar Chavez/ReutersA man photographs floodwaters outside his residence in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia in Tarpon Springs, Florida. Photograph: Adrees Latif/ReutersView of a damaged property in Keaton Beach, where Hurricane Idalia made landfall. Photograph: Marco Bello/ReutersOfficials warn that the storm surge will continue overnight, with flooding expected in the Carolinas.
The National Weather Service has warned: “Areas of flash, urban, and moderate river flooding, with considerable impacts, are expected from east central Georgia, through eastern South Carolina and eastern North Carolina into Thursday.”
5pm EDT #Idalia update:
Storm surge is expected along the southeastern U.S. coast within the Storm Surge Warning area through tonight. Coastal flooding is also expected within the Storm Surge Watch area in North Carolina on Thursday. Residents in these areas should follow any… pic.twitter.com/0D3kB4CzSx
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 30, 2023 5PM EDT 30 Aug: There is a storm surge warning and a tropical storm warning in effect along the southeastern US coast. Coastal and inland flooding is expected in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas into Thursday. t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/vHi9xfDqal
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023 With searches 75% complete, no confirmed deaths in FloridaFlorida officials said in a new update that the initial search and rescue operations were 75% complete and authorities so far had not confirmed any deaths.
“We are not finding anybody at home, so … many, many people heeded the warnings to evacuate,” Kevin Guthrie, director of Florida’s division of emergency management, said at a news briefing, CNN reported. He said the state had not tracked any reports of missing people from local police agencies.
Authorities earlier reported two traffic deaths, however, that may have been related to Idalia, including one man who lost control of his car and struck a tree.
People walk through flood waters in Crystal River, Florida Photograph: Chris O’Meara/APToday so farIt’s early evening on the US east coast and here’s a summary of where things stand so far:
Hurricane Idalia made landfall shortly after daybreak with 160mph gusts near Keaton Beach on Florida’s Gulf coast.
As Idalia tore through Florida, the hurricane split trees in half, flooded roadways and ripped roofs off of buildings.
The hurricane also submerged the small coastal community of Steinhatchee and set record-high water levels across a wide area stretching 200 miles south of Tampa.
Idalia weakened to a tropical storm on Wednesday afternoon after tearing through the Big Bend region of Florida.
Officials say two people have died in car crashes – a 40-year-old motorist in Pasco county, north of Tampa, who collided with a tree after losing control of his car, and a 59-year-old in Gainesville.
More than 217,000 customers remained without power in Florida as of early Wednesday evening, according to poweroutage.us.
There have been more than a dozen tornado warnings and mandatory evacuation orders in at least 28 Florida counties.
A tree split and hit the governor’s mansion, but Ron DeSantis’s wife said no one was injured.
DeSantis said, “You loot, we shoot.”
Idalia weakens to tropical stormIdalia has weakened to a tropical storm after tearing through the Big Bend region of Florida, officials said late on Wednesday afternoon, AP reports.
It was a category 3 hurricane when it made landfall near Keaton Beach in Florida early in the morning, but by the afternoon had weakened with winds of 70 mph (113km/h). The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has called Idalia “an unprecedented event”.
The National Hurricane Center has issued a warning on power shortages following a storm, urging residents to never use generators indoors or in garages to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
It also urged residents to use flashlights, not candles, to avoid risk of fire.
Even after the storm passes, power outages have their own set of hazards. Be especially careful with generators — never use them inside or in garages to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Use flashlights, not candles, to avoid risk of fire. #Idalia t.co/HcKsYCrFoE pic.twitter.com/Rovf6SgZXB
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2023The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, warned potential looters seeking to steal from people’s homes following the storm, saying: “You loot, we shoot.”
“I’ve told all of our personnel at the state level, you protect people’s property and we are not going to tolerate any looting in the aftermath of a natural disaster. I mean, it’s just ridiculous that you would try to do something like that on the heels of an almost category 4 hurricane hitting this community,” DeSantis said in a press conference on Wednesday.
We will not tolerate anyone taking advantage of those in the path of Hurricane Idalia.
Looters beware, Floridians will defend their homes and families. pic.twitter.com/lUsL2Ol91A
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 30, 2023 “Also, just remind potential looters that even you never know what you’re walking into. People have a right to defend the property. [In] this part of Florida, you got a lot of advocates [who] are proponents of the second amendment and I’ve seen signs in different people’s yards in the past after these disasters and I would say probably here: ‘You loot, we shoot.’”
World Central Kitchen, a non-profit founded by the celebrity chef and restaurateur José Andrés, mobilized its teams across western Florida ahead of Hurricane Idalia making landfall earlier today.
WCK teams have prepared hundreds of sandwiches to provide immediate relief for residents.
WCK teams mobilized across western Florida ahead of Hurricane Idalia making landfall. With the storm battering the state, we are preparing hundreds of sandwiches to provide immediate relief as soon as the storm passes and we head out in search of people in need. #ChefsForFlorida pic.twitter.com/IvpstmImbO
— World Central Kitchen (@WCKitchen) August 30, 2023The Florida division of emergency management has issued a warning on hidden dangers of floodwaters.
“Please do NOT walk, wade or drive through floodwaters as they can hide a variety of dangers,” the division said.
Here are some graphics created by the Guardian’s visuals team on Hurricane Idalia’s path and direction:
Guardian Idalia graphic Guardian Idalia graphic The Guardian has published an explainer on storm surges and the threat from storm surges from Hurricane Idalia.
For the full story, click here:
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