Storm Italia causes power outages, damage and flooding in southeastern US after killing three in Florida

Florida to assess damage from flooding that began last Thursday Cyclone ItaliaIt has been downgraded to a storm and is now moving along the coast of the southeastern United States.

The Idalia docked in Florida on Wednesday after beginning its journey on Monday Cuba Now threatening the state Georgia Heavy rains and flooding in coastal areas where residents are already experiencing power outages.

In Florida, Georgia and South CarolinaMore than 310,000 households were without electricity on Thursday morning, the special portal reported. power cut. us.

State officials indicated that rescue teams were working, but acknowledged that it may take time to reach areas blocked by fallen trees or flooding.

Italia entered near Florida Keaton BeachA category 3 hurricane of magnitude 5 with sustained winds of 215 km/h at 07:45 on Wednesday US National Hurricane Center (NHC).

According to the NHC, water rose up to five meters in some parts of the coast.

Later, Italia lost strength but sustained winds of 100 km/h Georgia and South Carolina.

The NHC has warned that heavy rain and strong winds will continue to flood the North Carolina coast through today.

“There’s still a lot of flooding,” he told the network Wednesday night in Charleston, South Carolina. CNN The city’s emergency management director, Ben Almquist.

A person clearing a blocked road in the area ValdostaIn Georgia, He died after falling from a treeLowndes County Sheriff Ashley Falk said.

“The man was clearing a tree on the road. A local citizen doing good things. “A big wind came up and brought down another tree, which died instantly,” he said.

A second person was seriously injured in the same episode, while Falk’s assistant sustained minor injuries.

Two more deaths were reported in two separate traffic accidents as a result of heavy rains and winds from Italy.

Officials are hopeful that the situation will improve by Thursday morning.

“Everything should improve once the night (Wednesday) passes,” he predicted Ron MoralesA meteorologist from National Service in CharlestonReports to local media.

According to forecasts, the storm will end its journey in the Atlantic this Thursday.

Authorities have called for thousands of people in Florida to evacuate, although some residents have refused to leave their homes.

In the affected town of Perry, dozens of trees were uprooted by the wind.

A pine tree fell on the house John Kallschmidt76, said it was a “terrifying” experience.

“It was worse than we expected,” he said AFP. “But that’s just the way it is, that’s life in Florida.”

In Steinhatchee, a small coastal town of about 1,000 people about 30km south of Keaton Beach, the nearly deserted main street was completely flooded and looked like a stretch of the neighboring river.

“Some trees fell in front of my house, otherwise the house was saved. Everything is fine,” he said AFP Patrick Boland, a 73-year-old man, locked himself in his house.

In zone Tampa BayHome to more than 3 million people, streets were flooded.

More than 1,000 rescuers were dispatched by federal authorities, after the White House called for enhanced surveillance.

“Italia is the most powerful storm to make landfall in this part of Florida in over 100 years,” he said. Dean CriswellResponsible United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Scientists warn that storms will become more powerful as temperatures rise due to climate change.

President of the United States Joe Biden Speaking to the media, he said that no one can deny the impact of the climate crisis.

“Look around us,” he said of the “historic floods” or recent devastating fires in Hawaii and Canada.

(With information from AFP)

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