Idalia strengthening, and there's another one out in the Atlantic
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School's in on Wednesday, as the anticipated impact of Hurricane Idalia will be minimal.
UPDATE: Osceola County schools indeed will NOT be open on Wednesday, contrary to what the district announced at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Parents received emails and texts at about 1:30 p.m. today announcing the change.
During the day, Governor Ron DeSantis amended Executive Order 23-171 for Hurricane Idalia to now include Osceola County. All district offices and school campuses will also be closed. All after-school school activities, events, and programs are cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday. At this time, plans are to reopen schools and district departments on Thursday.
Best bet? Monitor the district's website at www.osceolaschools.net or social media pages for any further school district updates.
Local weather update: Osceola County can expect 2-4 inches of rain out of the storm, mostly in outer feeder rain bands that will come from the south and move quickly; there's an outside chance these can contain brief vortices that resemble tornadoes. Winds will be 25-30 mph, with possible gusts to 45 mph, often coming with those feeder bands. While the storm is not expected to have a great impact in Osceola County -- at least compared to the Big Bend and Panhandle areas -- officials ask residents to be in their safe place by dinnertime tonight.
No closures expected. County and city offices are anticipated to remain open. KUA's Customer Service Center will open at 10 a.m. Wednesday. In St. Cloud, the Chris Lyle aquatic center closes Tuesday at 3 p.m. Sandbags will be available at Osceola Heritage Park on Shakerag Road until 4 p.m.; 45,000 of them were given out Monday. Tolls have been waved on Osceola Parkway and Florida's Turnpike from our county and points north.
"We're ready. I feel confident we're in a good place to handle what comes our way," said Kissimmee Mayor Olga Gonzalez, a sentiment echoed by St. Cloud Mayor Nathan Blackwell.
2 p.m. storm update: The National Hurricane Center now says Idalia is an 90 mph storm, and still expected to make landfall Wednesday morning after sunrise in the Perry to Steinhatchee area of the Big Bend, as a Category 3 storm with potential high winds of 125 mph. Like Blackwell, a man of faith, said, "Pray for those in the direct path of this storm."
And, if you want a good laugh, check out the NHC's forecast at days 4 and 5, with the start of a southwestern loop after coming off the Atlantic coast of South Carolina.
And, there's now a Tropical Depression 11. It's in the middle of the Atlantic. It's a fish storm.
