Hurricane Idalia made landfall on the west coast of the American state of Florida on Wednesday. Officials said the dangerous storm brought life-threatening storm surges and flooding to the area. By early Wednesday morning, more than 200,000 people reportedly were without electricity as strong winds brought down trees and power lines. Along the coast, some homes were underwater, and structures were crushed in the storm surge. “We have multiple trees down, debris in the roads, do not come,” emergency officials in Cedar Key said. They said most of the streets around the downtown area were underwater. Idalia landed in a lightly populated area near Keaton Beach at 11:45 UTC. The Category 3 hurricane came with sustained wind speeds as high as 205 kilometers per hour. The National Weather Service places hurricanes into five groups depending on wind speed. The strongest level, a Category 5 hurricane, can reach sustained wind speeds of 252 kilometers an hour or higher. People who live along Florida’s northwest coast had been ordered to leave the area before Idalia’s arrival. On Wednesday morning, Governor Ron DeSantis told those who have not left to stay inside until the storm passes. He said, “Don’t put your life at risk.”
