In a Flurry, the 'Flying Car'... 200 km/h Power of a US Hurricane

Category 3 Hurricane Makes Landfall in US Southeast
Wind Speeds Between 178 and 208 km/h... Damage Continues

Severe damage is occurring locally due to the massive hurricane 'Idalia' that struck the southeastern United States. Videos showing structures and vehicles swept away by the typhoon have been posted on social media platforms (SNS).

Hurricane Idalia made landfall at 7:45 a.m. local time on the 30th between Tallahassee and Gainesville, Florida, hitting the southeastern U.S. coast.

At the time of landfall, the hurricane was recorded as a Category 3 storm. Hurricanes are classified from Category 1 to 5, with higher numbers indicating greater strength. Category 3 means wind speeds of 178 to 208 km/h. It has the power to uproot trees firmly rooted in the ground.

In fact, multiple areas in Florida experienced typhoon damage. During heavy rain, two traffic accidents occurred, resulting in the deaths of two male drivers aged 40 and 59, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A passenger car being blown away by strong winds on a road in Florida. [Image source=SNS]

Some netizens shared videos capturing Idalia’s destructive power on Twitter and other SNS platforms. In a video filmed on a road in Florida, a passenger car was seen rolling like a stone.

Local netizens who saw the video expressed concerned reactions such as, "I hope the driver evacuated in advance," "It looks like a movie," and "I never knew wind could be that strong in my lifetime."

Entire roofs of buildings were torn off and flew away, and a huge truck was toppled by the strong winds. Flooding was also widespread. Several homes were submerged, with water reaching just below the roofs in some places.

Flooded residential area in Florida [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

The power grid was destroyed, causing blackouts for hundreds of thousands of households, and 75 people were stranded by floods in St. Petersburg, western Florida, before being rescued. Tampa International Airport, Florida’s largest hub, was effectively shut down, with over 900 flights canceled. Evacuation orders were issued in 30 counties.

According to local media reports, Idalia caused massive damage along its entire path after making landfall on the U.S. mainland and is now moving toward neighboring Georgia.

A house with its roof blown off by the typhoon. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

As a result, states of emergency were declared in Georgia and South Carolina, and U.S. President Joe Biden approved a federal emergency declaration. However, the hurricane’s strength is reported to be gradually weakening as it moves inland.

Meanwhile, Florida has decided to mobilize an additional 30,000 public service workers on top of the 25,000 already deployed for early recovery efforts, and about 5,500 members of the state National Guard have also been called up.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.