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Hurricane Idalia slammed into the coast of northern Florida as a category 3 hurricane with an estimated 125 mph wind speed around 7:45 AM Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center reported Idalia is causing storm surge across Florida’s Big Bend region, and that water levels along the coast are rising rapidly. Forecasters say extreme high tides could worsen the storm surge called king tides, which normally occur twice a year in coastal areas and usually cause flooding.
One of the most significant effects on towns along the coasts of South Carolina and North Carolina is storm surge. South Carolina’s low country may anticipate a storm surge of at least 3 to 5 inches.
Rain will begin to fall throughout Wednesday afternoon in the Charlotte region. The worst of Wednesday’s flash floods will occur about 10 p.m. Overnight, most likely around 1 a.m. on Thursday, the back edge of Idalia will begin to close in.
Winds might also be an issue along with the rainfall. While the wind gusts in Charlotte will not be extremely strong, ranging from winds of 30 to 40 mph, the area will receive a lot of rain.
