Idalia Update: Watches, Warnings, Evacuations, and Closures in Florida

The National Hurricane Center has issued alerts for Florida counties ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Idalia. The cyclone is expected to intensify into a hurricane and is forecasted to strengthen into a major hurricane before making landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday.

Hurricane Warnings indicate that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are expected in the specified area. Hurricane Warnings are issued 35 hours in advance of tropical storm-force winds to allow for preparations to be made. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible.

Tropical Storm Warnings are issued when a tropical cyclone (sustained winds of 39 mph or higher) is expected in the area. A Tropical Storm Watch is issued when those conditions are possible.

Storm Surge Warnings are issued ahead of water moving inland from the shoreline posing life-threatening conditions in the area. A Storm Surge Watch indicates that there is a possibility of those conditions in the area.

List of weather alerts updated Aug. 28, 6 p.m.

Evacuations

• Baker County: Voluntary evacuation
• Citrus County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A; voluntary evacuations countywide for those living in structures not capable of handling Category 3 winds
• Franklin County: Voluntary evacuations for all of the barrier island, low-lying areas and mobile homes
• Gilchrist County: Voluntary evacuation
• Gulf County: Mandatory evacuation for Indian Pass and low-lying areas
• Hernando County: Voluntary evacuations for zones A, B, C and residents in coastal and low-lying areas, as well as manufactured homes
• Hillsborough County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A, those in mobile/manufactured homes and residents in low-lying areas prone to flooding
• Jefferson County: Voluntary evacuation for low-lying areas and modular homes and RVs
• Levy County: Mandatory evacuation for coastal areas, including Cedar Key, Yankeetown, Fowlers Bluff, Fanning Springs and other areas prone to storm surge
• Madison County: Voluntary evacuation
• Manatee County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A, low-lying areas and manufactured homes; voluntary evacuations for Zone B
• Marion County: Residents who live west of Interstate-75 in a mobile home, RV or other substandard housing are recommended to leave
• Pasco County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A, low-lying areas and manufactured homes; voluntary evacuations for Zones B or C
• Pinellas County: Mandatory evacuations for Zone A, including all mobile homes
• Sarasota County: Evacuation of Level A; This includes vessels, RVs, mobile and manufactured homes
• Suwannee County: Mandatory evacuation
• Taylor County: Mandatory evacuation for all coastal residents and those in mobile homes and RVs
• Union County: Residents that live in mobile homes and low-lying areas are strongly encouraged to leave the area
• Volusia County: Voluntary evacuation for people who live in RVs, mobile homes or low-lying areas
• Wakulla County: Voluntary evacuation

Hurricane Warnings

• Coastal Citrus
• Coastal Dixie
• Coastal Franklin
• Coastal Hernando
• Coastal Hillsborough
• Coastal Jefferson
• Coastal Levy
• Coastal Manatee
• Coastal Pasco
• Coastal Taylor
• Coastal Wakulla
• Gilchrist
• Inland Citrus
• Inland Dixie
• Inland Hernando
• Inland Hillsborough
• Inland Jefferson
• Inland Levy
• Inland Manatee
• Inland Pasco
• Inland Sarasota
• Inland Taylor
• Lafayette
• Lafayette
• Madison
• Madison
• Pinellas
• Sumter
• Suwannee
• Western Alachua
• Western Marion

Hurricane Watches

• Baker
• Bradford
• Central Marion
• Coastal Sarasota
• Eastern Alachua
• Gilchrist
• Hamilton
• Inland Dixie
• Inland Sarasota
• Inland Taylor
• Lafayette
• Leon
• Madison
• Northern Columbia
• Southern Columbia
• Suwannee
• Union
• Western Alachua
• Western Marion

Tropical Storm Warnings

• Coastal Charlotte
• Coastal Collier
• Coastal Franklin
• Coastal Gulf
• Coastal Lee
• Coastal Sarasota
• DeSoto
• Gadsden
• Hardee
• Inland Charlotte
• Inland Franklin
• Inland Gulf
• Inland Jefferson
• Inland Lee
• Inland Sarasota
• Inland Wakulla
• Leon
• Liberty
• Northern Lake
• Orange
• Osceola
• Polk
• Seminole
• Southern Lake

Tropical Storm Watches

• Coastal Duval
• Coastal Flagler
• Coastal Nassau
• Coastal St. Johns
• Coastal Volusia
• Eastern Clay
• Eastern Marion
• Eastern Putnam
• Inland Collier
• Inland Flagler
• Inland Nassau
• Inland Northern Brevard
• Inland Southern Brevard
• Inland St. Johns
• Inland Volusia
• Mainland Northern Brevard
• Monroe Lower Keys
• Northern Brevard Barrier Islands
• Orange
• Osceola
• Seminole
• South Central Duval
• Southern Brevard Barrier Islands
• Trout River
• Western Clay
• Western Duval
• Western Putnam

Storm Surge Watches

• Coastal Charlotte
• Coastal Citrus
• Coastal Collier
• Coastal Dixie
• Coastal Franklin
• Coastal Hernando
• Coastal Hillsborough
• Coastal Jefferson
• Coastal Lee
• Coastal Levy
• Coastal Manatee
• Coastal Pasco
• Coastal Sarasota
• Coastal Taylor
• Coastal Wakulla
• Inland Citrus
• Pinellas