30 August 2023 , 17:59
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Hurricane Idalia has barrelled through the state of Florida, ripping a 100-year-old tree up from its roots before smashing it into the Florida governor's mansion.
Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey, revealed she and her three children had a lucky escape after the life-threatening Category 4 storm made landfall in Florida and battered the politician's house. Fortunately, no one was injured.
She wrote on Twitter: "100 year old oak tree falls on the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee — Mason, Madison, Mamie and I were home at the time, but thankfully no one was injured. Our prayers are with everyone impacted by the storm."
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Casey DeSantis revealed no one was hurt (Bloomberg via Getty Images)Despite the lucky escape, the Florida governor confirmed there have been no confirmed fatalities from Hurricane Idalia at the moment, as he urged residents to not "do anything dumb." He said: "There are as of now no confirmed fatalities. Those fatalities are things that get confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement through medical examiners. We do not have any confirmed fatalities yet..."
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However, there are over 260,000 people currently without power in Florida after destructive winds have sent trees, metal, and debris flying, causing power lines to collapse and blocking power lines in Georgia.
“We have multiple trees down, debris in the roads, do not come,” posted the fire and rescue department in Cedar Key, where a tide gauge measured the storm surge at 6.8 feet (2 meters), submerging most of the downtown. “We have propane tanks blowing up all over the island.”
Hurricane Idalia is also bringing flooding to the streets of Florida from Tampa to Tallahassee, a stretch of more than 200 miles. Residents in vulnerable coastal areas had been ordered to pack up and leave as Idalia gained strength. Mayor John Dailey of Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, is urging everyone to stay put Wednesday because it’s too late to risk going outside. “The time to evacuate has come and gone,” Dailey said on NBC’s “Today” show. “It is time to shelter in place.”
Photos of severe flooding in Florida are going viral across the internet (Cedar Key Fire Rescue/Facebook)In Clearwater, in the Tampa Bay area’s Pinellas County, the city is asking those who remained despite a mandatory evacuation order to restrict their water and toilet usage because the storm water system is strained.
County officials say flooding had been reported on roads throughout coastal areas. The county sheriff’s office closed access to barrier islands, and much of Gulf Boulevard, along the barrier islands, is closed because of significant flooding.
When Idalia made landfall Wednesday morning it had maximum sustained winds near 125 mph. The low-lying marsh area faced a predicted storm surge of up to 15 ft. There are populated areas in the region, including Gainesville, where the University of Florida cancelled classes through Wednesday.