Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.
Idalia proved less destructive than state officials had feared, given its magnitude, with Jefferson County – just west of where the eye of the storm made landfall – largely spared the worst. Idalia, however, was devastating enough for the Big Bend region, and especially for Taylor, Madison and others of the counties east of these, which got the brunt of the hurricane.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach in Taylor County about 7:45 a.m. Wednesday as a Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 125 mph, leaving a path of destruction and flooding in its wake, and with rescue and repair efforts continuing well into the weekend as thousands remained without electricity.
The hurricane, according to on-the-ground news reports, flooded roads, vehicles and homes and downed power lines, “while the howling winds tore off roofs, snapped tall trees, sent sheet metal flying, and shredded homes.”
In Jefferson County, the storm toppled trees, flooded roads, caused power outages and damaged some structures, but not to the extent that it did in adjacent Taylor and Madison counties.
Paula Carroll, director of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Office (EM) reported on Friday morning that the storm had caused no fatalities in the county, direct or indirect. She said that damage still was being assessed, but that so far, only one home had received major damage and another minor. The downing of trees and power lines was widespread, however, with 99 percent of the power infrastructure affected and 30 roads impacted, she said.
Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday toured parts of the devastated area, noting that as bad as the destruction was, it could have been far worse had the storm slammed one of the more populated areas of the state, instead of the largely rural Big Bend region. He was referring to last year’s Hurricane Ian, which left 149 dead in its wake when it hit the highly congested Fort Myers area.
“Ian came in basically as a Category 5...in a much more populated area, so it had more opportunity, I think, to be destructive,” the governor is quoted saying. “Whereas I think this one, there was definitely a lot of destruction, but (there were) so many woods that it's just going to require a lot to clean it up.”
Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC) reported on Wednesday, Aug. 30, that 100 percent of its system was impacted by the storm, leaving 20,000 meters without power. The company said that it had immediately begun doing damage assessments and making plans to restore power as soon as possible.
The company was also working alongside county road departments to assist with road clearing efforts. The rapid restoration of power, however, remained its stated priority.
“Crews will operate out of our Madison headquarters warehouse and a temporary base camp location in Taylor County,” said Kaitlynn Culpepper, TCEC community relations director. “Spreading our resources in this manner will increase efficiency dramatically. All employees and mutual aid crews will work from sunup to sundown, seven days a week until all power is restored.”
TCEC said its goal was to restore power to members’ homes and businesses within two weeks, adding the caveat that this timeframe applied “for those who can safely accept electricity.”
“Based on our initial assessments, some areas will require a full rebuild of the system while others require clearing and repairs,” Culpepper said. “We will begin to announce the specific areas our crews are working, beginning with areas in need of transmission service, substation, and large 3-phase repair. Often these repairs will restore large amounts of meters at a time and have a great impact on complete restoration efforts. Long tap and infrastructure damage impacting small groups of people will likely be out longer as larger system outages must be restored first.”
She further noted that those dependent on electricity for medical needs should continue with their alternate arrangements for power supply or relocate until further notice.
Duke Energy, meanwhile, reported that it had intensified its efforts to restore power, deploying more than 5,000 line-workers, tree professionals, damage assessors and support personnel to assess the damages in the storm- affected communities.
It reported that as of 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 31, it had restored power to 156,000 customers and it expected to restore energy to 95 percent of those who had experienced the worst of the storm by 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
Duke added, however, that for customers whose home or businesses were flooded, it could not reconnect power until the electrical system had been inspected by a licensed electrician, and if damage existed, an electrician would have to make the necessary repairs and obtain verification from the building inspector before power could be restored.
Likewise, if the meter box were pulled from a customer’s house or mobile home service pole and power was not being received, the homeowners would be responsible for getting an electrician to reattach the meter box and/or provide a permanent fix, the company said. And in some instances, an electrical inspection might be required by the county before Duke Energy could reconnect power.
The company advised the public to stay away from downed or sagging power lines, as these could still be energized and in turn energize trees, limbs, fences, and other objects that came in contact with them.
It also asked that generators be turned off when utility crews were working in the area, as the electrical load on the power lines could be hazardous to the crews making the repairs.
Finally, it advised that people stay away from downed power lines, as electric current passes easily through water, and it advised motorists not drive over downed power lines.
Idalia, a rapidly moving storm, was already history by Friday morning, out in the north Atlantic and moving ever farther northward. Even so, its brief passage over Florida caused $9 billion in damage, according to one estimate.
The storm also made history in several ways, being the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend region since 1896, when an unnamed Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 125 mph slammed the area. Idalia, according to meteorologists, was the first major storm to track through the Apalachee Bay.
Idalia’s eight-foot storm surge also reportedly broke records from Central Florida to the Big Bend, with water levels exceeding 4.5 feet in Tampa Bay, reaching 4.05 feet high in Clearwater Beach, and causing the Steinhatchee River to rise nine feet in two hours.
What’s more, the storm caused the National Weather Service in Tallahassee to issue two rare extreme wind warnings as the storm came ashore. To appreciate the rarity of these warnings, it is reported that until last Wednesday, only 27 such warnings had been issued in the continental U.S., the majority of them in Florida. The warning is issued when wind speeds reach 115 mph or greater.
Finally, Idalia made history in the rapidity of its intensification over a short period as it tracked across the Gulf of Mexico, which scientists say is alarmingly warm. Per the meteorologists, sea surface temperatures fuel hurricanes’ strengths, and with the Gulf’s water temperature measured at nearly 88 degrees Fahrenheit, Idalia’s winds increased 55 mph over a 24-hour period, going from sustained winds of 75 mph early Tuesday to 130 mph by Wednesday morning. It is to say that the high ocean water temperatures don't bode well for the rest of the hurricane season if they remain as high.