TAMPA, FLORIDA: Two Florida men were captured on camera paddling through a submerged Tampa street while seated on an inflatable duck after Hurricane Idalia battered Florida on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.
Meteorologist Derek Van Dam appeared delighted as the two Florida men were traveling down Bayshore Boulevard at 8 am on Wednesday as Hurricane Idalia neared landfall in Florida, as per Independent.
It was a Category 3 storm when it hit the state on Wednesday morning, but as it traveled inland, it was downgraded to a Category 1.
Florida man rowing an inflatable duck amid Hurricane Idalia
Pasco County officials have confirmed that two people have died as a result of the hurricane so far. One was a 40-year-old who crashed his Ford Ranger, and the other was a 59-year-old who drove into a ditch in Gainesville.
However, some Floridians are defying the government's suggestion to stay indoors as the hurricane moves through the state.
The two Florida men swam behind the CNN reporter on the busy street as he was recording live from the location in Tampa.
The amused journalist enquired, "This is something you don’t see every day. Guys... what are you doing?"
He continued, "I don’t want to minimize the serious nature of the storm, but this is what people are dealing with in Tampa."
On the other hand, a woman was spotted swimming through the flooded streets, around 55 miles to the south, on the state's Gulf coast, near Anna Maria Island.
Hurricane Idalia entered Florida's Big Bend at Keaton Beach
Hurricane Idalia plowed into Florida on Wednesday at the speed of a fast-moving train, splitting trees in half, ripping roofs off hotels, and turning small cars into boats.
It later moved on to Georgia and South Carolina as a still-potent storm that flooded roads and forced residents to seek higher ground.
With a maximum steady speed of 90 mph, it entered Florida's Big Bend at Keaton Beach at 7:45 am and is currently moving through southern Georgia before wreaking havoc on the Carolinas.
The storm brought high winds to Savannah, Georgia, as it moved near the North and South Carolina on Wednesday evening, as reported by the Associated Press.
It was expected to pass close to or along South Carolina's coast through Wednesday night before passing just off North Carolina's coast on Thursday before making its way out into the Atlantic Ocean.
Idalia equals an unidentified hurricane from 1896 in terms of intensity as the greatest storm to hit the Big Bend region in 127 years.
As water batters the Big Bend coastline, tens of thousands of residents are under orders to evacuate, and at least 260,000 are without electricity.
Tornado watches have been posted over Florida and in some areas of North and South Carolina up to at least 10 pm on Wednesday.
The National Weather Service verified that 3 to 5 inches of rain fell in less than one hour in Lowndes County, Georgia.
According to preliminary estimates in a research note from the investment bank UBS, insured property damages in Florida were estimated to total $9.36 billion.
