Hurricane Idalia 鈥� the last hurricane season 鈥� caused about $3.6 billion in damage and killed a dozen people, according to a final report about the storm that was released by the National Hurricane Center this week.
lays out the life and demise of Idalia, including that the storm peaked at a Category 4 before weakening at landfall on Aug. 30. And while the storm directly hit a mostly remote portion of Florida鈥檚 Big Bend, it flooded areas across Florida鈥檚 west coast, including parts of the Tampa Bay area.
Idalia was far from the costliest or deadliest storm in state history. However, the report lays out the sheer power of the storm, including a 12-foot storm surge along its path.
Idalia was the third-strongest hurricane to harm Florida鈥檚 Big Bend region, behind only the 1896 Cedar Key Hurricane and Hurricane Easy in 1950.
Here are five things to know about Idalia based on the report.
1. Storm surge inundated the west coast
Idalia made landfall where the coastline is cushioned by wetlands and forests. Despite the natural barriers, Idalia鈥檚 storm surge flooded coastal towns
Along the Steinhatchee River, close to the storm鈥檚 landfall, a water gauge recorded water rising 7 feet in just an hour.
鈥淚t just goes to show that if you don鈥檛 evacuate and you wait to evacuate until the storm surge starts, you鈥檙e probably out of luck,鈥� said Jeff Masters, a former scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
In Tampa Bay, Idalia鈥檚 storm surge reached up to 5 feet, the report stated.
鈥淚dalia demonstrated that Tampa Bay is highly vulnerable to storm surge,鈥� Masters said.
Shallow water along the coast allows strong winds from hurricanes to push high amounts of water onshore. Even Idalia, which missed the area by more than 100 miles,
neighborhood were damaged by surge.
2. How Hurricane Idalia killed: rough seas and falling trees
Hurricane Idalia killed 12 people in the United States.
When a storm of Idalia鈥檚 size wallops land, hurricane experts blame the storm for both direct and indirect deaths. A direct death happens from a storm鈥檚 physical forces, like flooding or a debris strike.
Indirect deaths are harder to calculate, and usually happen from a storm鈥檚 damage. Somebody who dies from lost power, a health issue while clearing debris or contracting a disease from the storm鈥檚 floodwaters can count as an indirect death. These deaths can take experts months to determine.
Idalia directly killed eight people and indirectly killed four.
The direct deaths were all caused by rip currents and rough seas, and notably, seven happened outside Florida, according to the report.
The Florida death was a 60-year-old man who drowned in rough seas while windsurfing in Brevard County. Three others died in North Carolina, three in New Jersey and one in Delaware.
Three of the four deaths indirectly caused by Idalia were in Florida. Two people died in vehicle crashes while the storm was hitting the state. Two others, one in Florida and one in Georgia, died from falling trees during debris cleanup.
The few direct Florida deaths could be a signal that the advanced warnings helped educate residents of the incoming threats, while states to the north may not have been paying as much attention to Idalia鈥檚 risks, according to Florida state climatologist David Zierden.
3. More than $3 billion in damages
Most of the $3.6 billion in damage occurred in the Big Bend region.
Much of the damage was to the state鈥檚 agriculture industry. Strong winds blew through peanut and cotton crops, livestock and infrastructure, the report said.
The report acknowledges that had Idalia hit a more populated area, damage costs likely would have been higher.
鈥淲e were very fortunate that it did hit one of the least-populated areas of the Gulf Coast,鈥� Masters said.
A storm surge of 12 feet could have been catastrophic for a built-up area, Masters said. Idalia鈥檚 cost, while still significant, ranks at the bottom of the
4. How accurate was Idalia鈥檚 forecast?
Forecasters acknowledge that the storm system formed earlier than expected and that Idalia鈥檚 creation 鈥渨as not particularly well forecast鈥� in the early stages.
But as Idalia built steam, forecasters dialed in on the storm鈥檚 predicted track. Even while the storm was still south of Cuba, there was general agreement that it would land somewhere near Florida鈥檚 Big Bend region, according to a National Hurricane Center graphic depicting Idalia鈥檚 forecast tracks.
A hurricane鈥檚 intensity is usually harder to pin down.
While it was churning over the Gulf of Mexico, Idalia rapidly intensified to a Category 4 storm with an estimated peak wind intensity of more than 130 mph. But the storm made landfall during a low tide and as it was forming a new eyewall 鈥� which weakened the storm to a Category 3 鈥� knocking down the peak storm surge.
National Hurricane Center forecasters 鈥済enerally predicted the rapid intensification and weakening phases of Idalia well,鈥� according to the report.
鈥淎s hurricane models become more sophisticated and refined, the skills of forecasting a hurricane鈥檚 path improve almost yearly,鈥� Zierden said.
One improvement coming this year? The 鈥渃one of uncertainty鈥� created by the National Hurricane Center is moving inland to better depict wind and flooding risks to areas outside of the immediate coastline. The experimental forecast should be ready around Aug. 15, according to the hurricane center.
5. A look ahead to next hurricane season
The hurricane center鈥檚 report comes a few months before the official start of the hurricane season on June 1. Soon, major research centers, including the hurricane center, will release outlooks for the season.
Idalia was the only landfalling storm in Florida, which is unusual. A possible reason is because this past season took place during an El Ni帽o year, which typically suppresses hurricane activity. El Ni帽o鈥檚 counterpart, La Ni帽a , typically fuels it.
This season鈥檚 forecasts will likely be influenced by a possible La Ni帽a that is expected to settle in at the peak of hurricane season.
Last week, the National Weather Service鈥檚 Climate Prediction Center said By the time June rolls around, La Ni帽a has a 55% chance of falling into place.
La Ni帽a conditions typically fuel hurricane activity because it removes conditions that quell storm formation, like wind shear.
This story was produced in partnership with the Florida Climate Reporting Network, a multi-newsroom initiative founded by the Miami Herald, the South Florida Sun Sentinel, The Palm Beach Post, the Orlando Sentinel, 港澳天下彩Public Media and the Tampa Bay Times.
