Hurricane Idalia slammed into Florida this past week, leaving a swath of devastation in its wake. Wind speeds reached 125 mph as trees were split in half and roofs were ripped off buildings where Idalia made landfall in the state’s Big Bend region.
Idalia continued to advance into Georgia and the Carolinas, where flooding and high winds wreaked havoc, although it weakened into a tropical storm. Four tornadoes that touched down in the Carolinas have been attributed to Idalia.
Two people in Florida died in car accidents as they attempted to flee from the hurricane’s path. An individual died as a result of the hurricane in Georgia when a tree fell on a car in Lowndes County, near the state’s border with Florida.
Nearly half a million people lost power in Florida and Georgia. Flooding from the hurricane has caused significant damage to homes and businesses. The city of Perry, Florida sustained the brunt of the destruction inflicted by the hurricane.
Local resident Jerry Wells stated, “All the way up U.S. 19 through Taylor County, the forest is just devastated. I don’t know how many people have trees in their homes. It’s turning into a tarp village.”
A 100-year-old oak tree fell on the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee. Florida’s First Lady Casey DeSantis said that she was home with her children at the time, but no one was injured.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said, “There has been significant damage, particularly along Florida’s Big Bend, but the community is resilient, and we are going to work hard to make sure people get what they need.”
5,500 National Guardsmen and rescue crews have been deployed to conduct search and recovery missions. The search teams will likely need extended time to complete their objectives due to the remoteness of the Big Bend region.
President Joe Biden paid a visit to Florida on Saturday to survey the damage inflicted by the hurricane and to meet with people impacted by the natural disaster.
“The spirit of this community is remarkable. People are in real trouble. The most important thing is to give them hope. There’s no hope like your neighbor walking across the street to see what they could do for you or the local pastor or someone coming in offering help,” Biden said.
