Florida county preparing for 'potentially deadly weather event' from Idalia: sheriff

Florida’s Citrus County is preparing for a “potentially deadly weather event,” its sheriff warned Tuesday as the state continues to take extraordinary measures to prepare for Hurricane Idalia.

“Please continue to take this potentially deadly weather event very seriously and continue to follow our updates regarding Hurricane Idalia,” Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast said in an audio recording of an update issued Tuesday morning. The update was posted on social media sites as well. 

Idalia strengthened into a hurricane Tuesday morning and continues to strengthen as it approaches the western coast of Florida. 

By Wednesday morning, the storm is expected to become a Category 3 “major” hurricane, with maximum sustained winds forecasted to reach more than 125 mph. A storm becomes a Category 3 storm once it reaches 111 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. 

There are a total of 67 counties in Florida. As of Tuesday morning, 49 counties were under a state of emergency in the state. There were evacuation orders issued in 22 counties. 

Prendergast warned all Citrus County residents who live in Zone A, the most severe of the evacuation zone designations, to take action now and evacuate. A map of the evacuation zones indicate those living near any coast of Florida are most likely to be ordered to evacuate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had previously warned that whether the storm hits during high tide or low tide will make a big difference in the damage that it causes.

“We are fully prepared for a multitude of catastrophic events that Citrus will experience from Hurricane Idalia – from 60-80 mph sustained winds with gusts over 100 mph to dangerous, life-threatening storm surge 8-12 feet above ground level,” Prendergast said in the update. 

“However, we need our citizens to be prepared too – it is crucial in order to ensure the safety of yourselves, your families, and our entire community,” he added.