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Hurricane Idalia intensifies to a major Category 4 storm: Live updates
Live updates and the latest news on Hurricane Idalia as it looks to hit Florida as a major hurricane. Get real-time weather updates and developments.
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More on Hurricane Idalia
Idalia, which has been growing stronger for more than 24 hours, is expected to make landfall between 6 and 9 a.m. ET today south of Perry, Florida.
Idalia strengthened to a Category 4 and is expected to remain an "extremely dangerous" hurricane when it makes landfall.
As of around 6 a.m. ET, the hurricane had maximum sustained winds 130 mph, with higher gusts.
Storm surge damage may stretch about 200 miles along Florida’s west coast, past the Tampa Bay area, and the state's Big Bend area could get 12 to 16 feet of storm surge.
The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee said “locations may be uninhabitable for several weeks or months” because of wind damage. Storm surge could prevent access, too.