More than 20 counties in Florida have issued evacuation orders as Hurricane Idalia approaches the state.
Dangerous hurricane-force winds could affect Florida as soon as late Tuesday, and Idalia is expected to reach the state's Gulf Coast on Wednesday. Forecasters say the hurricane's sustained winds could be up to 120 mph, which would make it a Category 3 storm.
Idalia became a hurricane on Tuesday morning as it intensified on a path toward Florida's Gulf Coast, with forecasters warning of an increased risk of life-threatening storm surge in the coming days.
Florida residents are bracing for Idalia's arrival by loading up on sandbags and evacuating from homes in low-lying areas along the coast.
Evacuation orders have been issued in 22 counties, with mandatory orders for some residents in Citrus, Dixie, Gulf, Lafayette, Levy, Pasco Pinellas, Suwannee and Taylor counties.
Many were for people in low-lying and coastal areas, as well as for those living in structures such as mobile and manufactured homes, recreational vehicles and boats, and those who would be vulnerable in a power outage.
Florida: Tap 'Evacuation Order Map' for Visual
Each county has a website that residents can check for the recommended level of preparation.
The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay on Monday urged people to finish their preparations for Idalia's arrival by Tuesday morning at the latest.
Those under evacuation orders don't need to travel too far, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a Monday news conference.
Hillsborough County Evacuation Map
"You don't need to go hundreds of miles away," DeSantis said. "You don't need to try to outrun the storm.
"Evacuation is basically saying 'get away from the life-threatening storm surge,' so you can go inland, you can be in a structure that can withstand hurricane-force winds, and you could ride out the storm, then you go back to your home when all is clear... get away from the storm surge, that's the main thing."
Pasco County Evacuation Map
DeSantis, who has paused his campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, has declared a state of emergency for 46 counties. The state has mobilized 1,100 National Guard members, who have 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft at their disposal for rescue and recovery efforts.
DeSantis also announced that the Florida Department of Transportation would waive tolls on highways along Florida's west coast starting at 4 a.m. on Tuesday to help people in the storm's path evacuate quickly and safely.
Both Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said they would be closed on Tuesday. Many school districts along the Gulf Coast said they would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, while several colleges and universities said they would shut their campuses on Tuesday.
Volusia County Evacuation Map
The White House said President Joe Biden quickly approved an emergency declaration for Florida.
At Biden's direction, the Federal Emergency Management Agency "has deployed two incident management teams to Tallahassee and has one in Atlanta ready to pivot as needed," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a Monday press briefing.
"The president also expressed the administration's full commitment and support to Florida."
Southwest Florida is still recovering from Hurricane Ian, which came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane in September last year. Ian was responsible for more than 150 deaths and caused more than $112 billion in damage.
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