Valerie Giacobbe via Reuters
Hurricane Idalia strengthened into a Category 4 storm on Wednesday morning, with forecasters warning that it could still gain even more power in the hours before it slams into Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. ET, Idalia’s maximum sustained winds had increased to 130 mph and that the storm has now “become an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, and is nearing landfall in Florida Big Bend region this morning.”
It added that “catastrophic & life-threatening impacts” from storm surfs and winds should be expected as the hurricane comes ashore. Idalia is expected to make landfall at around 8 a.m. ET.