How is Hurricane Idalia affecting weather in the Florida Keys? What’s happening now
Hurricane Idalia stayed far offshore of Key West as it passed by the Keys Tuesday, but not without letting its presence be felt.
The outer bands whipped up squalls of heavy rain and wind gusts, sending water splashing over the sea wall of the Southernmost Point, the site of the red, black and yellow buoy tourists love to take selfies next to, especially during tropical storms.
Idalia grew into a strong storm overnight as it lurched its way passed the Keys, representing an ominous blob on the radar — so much so, that Monroe County officials say that in years past, they would have ordered tourists and residents to leave.
“Twenty years ago, we’d be in an evacuation by now,” said Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi.
Strides in weather forecasting technology allowed Keys officials to keep a cautious eye on the storm instead, saving the estimated $5 million to $15 million a day evacuations cost the tourist-dependent Keys economy, Gastesi said during an emergency management conference call Tuesday morning.
Jonathan Rizzo, warning coordination meteorologist with National Weather Service Key West, said the Keys remained under a tropical storm watch, with the Dry Tortugas, about 70 miles west of Key West, remaining under a tropical storm warning.
The Keys, especially the Middle to Lower Keys and Key West, saw squalls that were expected to become more frequent through the day into Wednesday, bringing sustained 20 to 25 mph winds, with gusts up to 60 mph.
“That’s probably when we’re going to see the most severe weather, when the squalls come through,” Rizzo said during the conference call.
The closest the center of Idalia is forecast to come to Key West is 190 miles by early Tuesday afternoon, Rizzo said. Hurricane Ian, which flooded several homes and businesses along the the coastal areas of Key West late last September, came within just over 70 miles of the island, Rizzo told the Miami Herald/FLKeysnews.com.
While Rizzo said to expect winds strong enough to down tree limbs and even some trees, possibly causing power outages, the real impact of Idalia in the Keys will be its storm surge on the ocean side of the archipelago.
Tides are expected to be about two feet higher than average high tides, causing street flooding in low-lying areas, Rizzo said. And, with a full moon on Wednesday, the high water may stick around after the storm passes, he said.
The only major closings were Dry Tortugas National Park and two state parks — Bahia Honda State Park and Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park.
Key West International Airport remained open as of Tuesday morning and officials planned to keep it open through the storm.
“Operations continue as normal,” airport spokeswoman Katherine Atkins said.
This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 10:59 AM.
