Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm at 7:45 AM on August 30th in Taylor County, Florida about 90 miles southeast of Tallahassee. After making landfall, the storm is expected to move towards the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina while remaining at hurricane strength. Emergency response will be required across all four states.
After making landfall, Idalia is expected to move towards the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina while remaining at hurricane strength. Hurricane Idalia is the strongest storm to hit the Big Bend region of Florida since 1896. Evacuation orders are in place for 30 of Florida's 67 counties, as some areas are expected to be hit with storm surges with up to 16 feet of flooding. Tornado watches are in effect as well.
International Medical Corps has activated its emergency response teams, are deploying an initial assessment team to Florida, and we are staging supplies in Tallahassee. We are also in contact with some of our key community health partners in Florida and other affected states to coordinate and respond to any of their needs. We also will be conducting assessments in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. We stand ready to deploy medical professionals, supplies and equipment based on need.
International Medical Corps works closely with state health departments in hurricane-prone states to prepare for and respond to hurricanes that are more powerful and occurring more frequently due to climate change.
