good evening everyone i m laura coates. breaking news, hurricane idalia has intensified over the warm waters of the gulf of mexico and is now forecast to become an extremely dangerous category four storm, before it makes landfall in a matter of just hours. the storm is packing 110 miles per hour winds and is already causing flooding in some of the coastal areas. our teams are out across the entire storm zone, chad myers is in the cnn weather center with the very latest forecast. carlos suarez is in tampa, brian todd is in tallahassee, and gloria pazmino is in clearwater. let s go right now to chad myers who is in the weather center. chad, governor ron desantis is now saying that the florida gulf coast area has not seen a storm of a dahlias magnitude since the 1800s. it is now forecast to be an extremely dangerous category four hurricane when it makes landfall. could put all this into context for us. sure, from appalachia, all the way to the big bend is what he is talking
cut off by 8 to 12 feet of storm surge. later this hour we expect an update on storm preparations from governor ron desantis. we ll bring that to you live. until then our cnn teams are across florida covering the storm from every angle. we re going to start with cnn chief meteorologist chad myers. tell us the latest on idalia and its path. reporter: yeah, the 5:00 advisory just in. 100 mile per hour storm, a category 2 with 120 mile per hour gusts. the hurricane hunter that i said was leaving biloxi did make it to the storm, so they did get the update ot100 moving north at 16 miles per hour. that means this storm isn t going to be in the water for hours. we don t want this thing in the water for 35 more hours getting more and more strength to it. that is one of the good pieces. another thing that happened in the 5:00 advisory is the track has been shifted about 20 miles to the west away from cedar key but a little bit closer to st. marks where our brian todd is, and even a
news in what could be a once in a lifetime weather event for parts of florida and the united states. right now, hurricane hurricane idalia is barrelling toward florida s gulf coast and is expected to make land fall as a category 3 storm or stronger overnight. the storm is rapidly intensifying as it travels through a warmer than normal gulf of mexico. the majority of florida s counties are now under a state of emergency. schools are closed, aurpts have been shuttered and hospitals are moving patients that they can move to safer locations. cities around the eye of the hurricane are predicted to possibly see more than 12 feet of storm surge with winds more than 100 miles per hour. we are just getting in some new video. this is out of key west, where residents are already starting to feel the storm s effects. moments ago, this dire warning from the mayor of cedar key, near where the storm is expected to make landfall. the mayor estimating around 100 people remain in his town. he
emergency at this hour. i want to show you some live images here. this is actually key west. conditions there quickly deteriorating. folks are dealing with those tropical storm winds and also a damaging storm surge. let s take a look now at fort myers beach that. area too is still recovering from hurricane ian, which hit last year. these record warm waters in the gulf and even in the southern atlantic have really helped to fuel the storm s intensity. it is projected to be a category 3 hurricane by the time it makes landfall. remember, a category 3 is winds of at least 120 miles per hour. and this current track here has the storm striking florida s vulnerable big bend area. the national weather service is warning that you really can t compare this storm to anything because, quote, no one has seen this. a particular concern is cedar key. it s now at the center of this storm s track, about a hundred people in that island area are still refusing to leave even though officials fea
march 4th, 2024, that is the latest trial date for former president donald trump on charges alleging he worked to overturn the 2020 election. that s just one day before super tuesday, a crucial date in the next election s nomination race. neisin the meantime, in geo, more drama, as co-defendants try to move their trials. the mayor in georgia pleads for the end to the hate. a strengthening storm takes aim at florida. tropt cal storm idalia could turn into a category 3 hurricane. the record heat in the gulf means the storm is more likely to intensify. we are following these major developing stories all in the meantiming into cnn news central. the date is set. a federal judge just ruling that the trial date will begin march 4th of next year. this comes after a heated hearing today, where judge tanya chutkan warned trump s legal team to, quote, take the temperature down a little. evan perez is outside of the courthouse for us. judge chutkan rejecting both the special co