What does the Tampa Bay area look like as floods rush in from Idalia? Take a look
Much of the Tampa Bay area remains under a hurricane warning and storm surge warning Wednesday morning as Hurricane Idalia approaches the Gulf Coast of Florida.
As the storm brushed past the region, its winds shifted and began pushing water into coastal areas. Flooding was happening in Pinellas coastal communities such as Madeira Beach, Treasure Island and Gulfport.
Weather conditions also prompted the Florida Highway Patrol to close the Sunshine Skyway bridge to all traffic as well as the northbound span of the Howard Frankland Bridge.
Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Manatee and Hernando counties remained under mandatory evacuation orders for some areas and voluntary evacuations for other zones.
Here’s a look at the flooding in the Tampa Bay area:
Significant flooding is occurring in St. Pete Beach. There is 3-4 feet of water on Sunset Way. #Idalia pic.twitter.com/RrGg4iFihb
— Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (@SheriffPinellas) August 30, 2023
A significant amount of water is coming onshore in Madeira Beach. Deputies are going to begin closing portions of Gulf Boulevard between 129th Avenue and 150th Avenue. #Idalia pic.twitter.com/a1axPnCgrh
— Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (@SheriffPinellas) August 30, 2023
Most of Gulf Blvd in Treasure Island is becoming flooded. Please do NOT drive through flooded roadways. #Idalia pic.twitter.com/X0YGsiQumv
— Treasure Island, FL (@TresIslandFL) August 30, 2023
UPDATE: The storm surge is quickly moving in and inundating Gulfport, FL as #Idalia inches closer to the coast. Our field correspondent @bclemms captured this not too long ago #FLwx pic.twitter.com/0Tn5iyeMjr
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) August 30, 2023
We were one of the last cars over the #HowardFranklinBridge before it was closed. #Idalia #tampabay https://t.co/9NttofiRw4
— Jonathan Petramala (@jpetramala) August 30, 2023
Big problems with storm surge in #gulfport #stpetebeach #tampabay #HurricaneIdalia pic.twitter.com/o2wrLSaCMv
— Jonathan Petramala (@jpetramala) August 30, 2023