2020 has been a wild ride so far, and Hurricane Idalia was the storm that started it all. On June 3rd, Hurricane Idalia formed off the coast of Mexico. This storm was no ordinary hurricane; it would go down in history as one of the most powerful storms of the season.
The storm quickly gained strength and by June 8th, it was upgraded to a Category 5 Hurricane, with wind speeds of 166 miles per hour. This made it the strongest hurricane to ever make landfall in the Yucutan Peninsula. As it moved north, it weakened slightly, but it still packed a powerful punch and devastated the coast.
The first effects of the storm were felt in Florida, where it made landfall as a category 4 hurricane on June 11th. The powerful winds and the intense rains caused major flooding and damage. Over 150,000 people were forced to evacuate, with flooding over 10 feet in some parts of the state.
As the storm moved north, it sent heavy rains and flooding into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, with billions of dollars in damage. In the end, Hurricane Idalia was responsible for 18 deaths, making it the deadliest storm of the season.
Although the storm is now gone, the destruction it caused is still felt throughout the affected states. It will be remembered as a powerful reminder of the dangers of extreme weather events, and a symbol of the resilience of the people that faced it. Hurricane Idalia will surely go down in history as one of the most influential storms of the century.