In his prime, Andrés Iniesta was widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in history.

The playmaker helped revolutionize how soccer was played around the world and, as a pivotal part of historic Barcelona and Spain teams, he won everything there is to win in the sport on both the club and national team levels.

In the 22 years after joining the Barça’s youth academy, Iniesta won 32 trophies for the club and lifted two European Championships and one World Cup for Spain in an unprecedented run of success – La Roja won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, the first and only country to ever win three major championships in a row.

But his departure from his boyhood club in 2018 didn’t mark the end of his career. Instead, it was the start of yet another adventure in very different part of the world.

After leaving Spain, Iniesta signed for Japanese club Vissel Kobe and enjoyed reasonable success in following five years.

But this year, after seeing his playing time diminish in Japan, it was time for a new challenge.

Amid interest from around the world, including Major League Soccer (MLS), Iniesta eventually signed a one-year deal with UAE side Emirates Club.

“There are many things to be improved [in the local scene], so I can really use my experience in order to improve the football situation here.

“I am thrilled to be here and I am very happy with the way I was received here. I’m just hoping to do the best I can.”

Life in the UAE

Despite signing a one-year contract, Iniesta has the option of extending his stay, but he’s currently just focused on enjoying the season ahead.

The midfielder says his family are quickly adapting to life in his new home city of Ras Al Khaimah.

In his first start for his new side on Friday, Iniesta scored a late penalty in a dramatic 4-4 draw against Ajman Club. He had previously made his debut after coming off the bench in a 1-0 defeat on August 19.

“At my age, I still have the dream of playing, to train and to have fun and that’s why I take care of myself,” Iniesta said.

Before signing for Emirates Club, there had been reports that Inter Miami was looking to attract the Spanish legend to the MLS.

The club has rejuvenated its starting XI this year with the signing of three of Iniesta’s former Barcelona teammates – Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Messi, in particular, has certainly not disappointed since moving to North America, but it could have been very different for the Argentine superstar.

After his relationship with former club Paris Saint-Germain broke down, Messi had been linked with a sensational move back to Barça.

Iniesta said the move back to Catalonia would have been “amazing” but respects both his friend and his former club’s decision.

“It would have been very special and great if Lionel Messi could have gone back to Barcelona. It would have been amazing,” he said, adding that he hoped the Catalan club will work its way back to the top of the European game.

“But at the end of the day, it is his own situation and of the club, and these are by themselves. But of course, it would have been great if he could have come back.”

‘We want the football to grow’

Over the next year, Iniesta said he is focused on building the reputation of soccer in the UAE, something which is happening across the Gulf.

Many of Europe’s biggest stars, such as Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, have already moved to Saudi Arabian teams this season as the region looks to lay the foundations of a soccer revolution.

While such moves have come under scrutiny, Iniesta said players like himself are just trying to build the sport in the “best way” that they can.

“Football is a global sport, it’s a world sport where everybody would like to have different football players,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we want the football to grow at the level of fans, at the level of training. And we have very good football players that have played in Europe for a long time and now they are coming to this region or to some other regions.”

American chess grandmaster Hans Niemann has been reinstated by Chess.com following the conclusion of a legal dispute between Niemann, Magnus Carlsen and the online platform, among others.

In June, a US judge dismissed a $100 million defamation lawsuit filed by Niemann against Chess.com, five-time world champion Carlsen, and popular streamer and player Hikaru Nakamura.

This followed an alleged cheating scandal surrounding Niemann which rocked the sport last year.

“We are pleased to report that we have reached an agreement with Hans Niemann to put our differences behind us and move forward together without further litigation,” said a statement released by Chess.com this week.

“At this time, Hans has been fully reinstated to Chess.com, and we look forward to his participation in our events.”

Chess.com calls itself the world’s largest online platform for chess and says it hosts more than 10 million games every day.

“I am pleased that my lawsuit against Magnus Carlsen and Chess.com has been resolved in a mutually acceptable manner, and that I am returning to Chess.com,” Niemann said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. “I look forward to competing against Magnus in chess rather than in court.”

He continued: “These difficult times have only strengthened my resolve and character and have only invigorated me even more to reach the top of chess. There will be a day when I will be the best chess player in the world, and I think it’s time to let my chess speak for itself.”

According to Niemann’s dismissed lawsuit, the dispute began in September 2022 when then world champion Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, Missouri.

The lawsuit claimed that Carlsen pulled out of the tournament after losing to Niemann, later tweeting a video of soccer manager José Mourinho saying: “I prefer, really, not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble.”

Over-the-board chess, like that played at the Sinquefield Cup, takes place in a face-to-face format, rather than online. Carlsen did not provide details about what he alleged Niemann did during their September 2022 match.

In an interview with the St. Louis Chess Club shortly after, Niemann said that he had never cheated in over-the-board games, though he did admit to cheating in “random games on Chess.com” as a younger player, which he called “the single biggest mistake of my life.”

However, a 72-page report by Chess.com later alleged that Niemann “likely cheated” in more than 100 online matches between July 2015 and August 2020, “including several with prize money events.”

The report claimed that Niemann privately confessed to cheating to the website’s chief chess officer in 2020, which led to the now 20-year-old being temporarily banned from the platform.

Niemann’s lawsuit described this allegation as “false” and stated that he “had not previously been banned twice on Chess.com for cheating.”

In this week’s statement announcing the conclusion of the legal dispute, Chess.com said: “We stand by the findings in our October 2022 public report regarding Hans, including that we found no determinative evidence that he has cheated in any in-person games.”

The report said that Chess.com closed Niemann’s account in September 2022 given his previous acknowledgments of cheating, suspicions about his recent play and concerns about the steep, inconsistent rise in his rank.

In September last year, Carlsen said that he believed Niemann had cheated “more – and more recently – than he has publicly admitted” having withdrawn from a game against Niemann at the Julius Baer Generation Cup after making just one move.

In a statement released by Chess.com this week, Carlsen said: “I acknowledge and understand Chess.com’s report, including its statement that there is no determinative evidence that Niemann cheated in his game against me at the Sinquefield Cup. I am willing to play Niemann in future events, should we be paired together.”

Speaking on his YouTube channel in a video released on Monday, Nakamura said: “Ultimately, everyone will or has formed their own opinions. Some have very strong opinions one way or another. I don’t think that anyone’s opinion is going to change at this point in time.”

In a matchup that could be an insight into the future of women’s tennis, Coco Gauff overcame Mirra Andreeva in straight sets to advance into the third round of the US Open.

In the battle of the teenagers, 19-year-old Gauff beat 16-year-old Andreeva 6-3 6-2 and never looked out of control as her extra experience and skill showed.

Gauff is among the favorites in a wide-open women’s field at Flushing Meadows and this convincing win would have laid down a warning to the rest of the field.

The American has been on brilliant form coming into the last grand slam of the season and won her third title of the year – and biggest of her career – at the Western & Southern Open in her last outing before the US Open.

“I think that I’m capable of winning when I’m not playing my best, even in the first round I wasn’t playing my best and I was able to get through that one and today I played much cleaner tennis,” Gauff said during her on-court interview.

The teenager has continued her rapid development this year and Gauff said that one of the reasons for her improvement is her increasingly enjoying her tennis.

“I have to enjoy this if I want to maintain a long career, I have to really have fun on the court and I think I’m having fun with the wins and losses,” added Gauff.

Gauff certainly looked like she was having fun and seized control of the match early in the first set.

The fast-paced nature of the court suited Gauff and allowed her power to shine.

The second-round match was also played under sweltering sunlight on Arthur Ashe Stadium and Gauff said that these conditions were similar to what she is used to back home in South Florida.

“I’m just used to the heat; I’m used to sweating. I’m soaked, I had to go to the towel a lot to just wipe my hands off,” said Gauff.

Despite losing in convincing fashion to Gauff, at just 16 this is clearly just the beginning for Andreeva.

The Russian is one of tennis’ rising stars and Gauff was able to offer words of wisdom to her opponent after the matchup.

“I think when I was younger, I used to think every match was life or death and when you realize some of your competitors on tour are in their 30s, it puts in perspective you still have to allow yourself time to make mistakes and the losses,” Gauff said post-match.

“As long as you learn from them, they’re okay.”

Gauff will take on Elise Mertens in the next round after the Belgian defeated America’s Danielle Collins in round two.

Elsewhere, American Taylor Townsend continued her run with a second-round victory against Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia.

Townsend, ranked No. 132 in the world, overcame the 19th seed in straight sets with a 7-6 7-5 win.

The 27-year-old will face either Karolína Muchová or Magdalena Fręch in the third round with the pair playing on Wednesday.

Idalia weakened to a tropical storm Wednesday evening as it trekked across the Southeast, threatening parts of Georgia and the Carolinas with strong winds and flooding after pummeling parts of Florida.

“Right now, it’s still a catastrophic event,” Frink said. “All the homes around us, they’re all underwater.”

In nearby coastal Pasco County, just north of Tampa, roughly 6,000 homes were “inundated with water,” according to one official.

The storm was whipping 70 mph winds and was roughly 40 miles west of Savannah, Georgia, according to a 5 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The risks of storm surge, freshwater flooding and strong winds remain for parts of Georgia and the Carolinas, the center said. Idalia’s center will move close to or along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina through Wednesday night before moving offshore near North Carolina’s coast Thursday, the hurricane center said.

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said multiple counties in the southern portion of the state have been seeing powerful winds Wednesday, and are expecting heavy rain.

Up to 10 inches of rain could drop over parts of east-central Georgia to central and eastern South Carolina and through eastern North Carolina into Thursday, the hurricane center said.

“These rainfall amounts will lead to areas of flash, urban, and moderate river flooding, with considerable impacts,” the center added.

Tornadoes are also possible through Wednesday evening across coastal South Carolina and coastal North Carolina Wednesday night.

Danger not over in Florida, officials warn

In storm-ravaged Florida, authorities warn that while the sky there may be clearing, the danger is not yet over.

“We still have a lot of water coming into the Tampa Bay area, make sure that you’re not driving through any standing water,” Wilcoxen said.

“Where I’m standing right now could potentially be under 6 feet of water by the time we get the high tide” late Wednesday afternoon, he said.

“We fear that residents will walk outside, see it’s sunny outside and think everything’s fine. But there’s more water coming,” warned Rob Herrin, spokesperson for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. “There’s still so many hazards after the winds and rains have cleared.”

Prendergast urged people not to venture into the water filling the streets.

“Don’t get out onto that water, because it is salt water mixed in with a lot of other things,” the sheriff said.

“It’s going to destroy your vehicles, and then it’s going to give you a costly repair bill whenever you get past the storm.”

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2 men killed in weather-related crashes

Idalia slammed Florida’s Big Bend area – the nook between the panhandle and peninsula – near Keaton Beach Wednesday morning at a dangerous Category 3 strength. That part of the Gulf Coast hasn’t seen such deadly storm surge and wind gust for at least 125 years.

“Conditions will gradually start to improve in Florida later today, but the water levels are going to remain elevated – especially along the Big Bend coast down into Tampa through much of the day today,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said Wednesday.

FOLLOW HURRICANE IDALIA LIVE UPDATES

At least two men were killed in separate, weather-related car crashes Wednesday, Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said. Their deaths mark the first reported fatalities linked to Hurricane Idalia.

In the vulnerable island city of Cedar Key, a water level record was shattered amid 8 to 9 feet of storm surge. And the water was still rising fast – predicted to hurl seawater as high as halfway up the second floor of an average building.

Swaths of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Fort Myers Beach also have been engulfed by wind-whipped seawater and torrential rain.

‘We’re effectively cut off from the world now’

The island city of Cedar Key looked “almost apocalyptic” even before landfall, resident Michael Bobbitt said Wednesday morning. Hours later, the disastrous storm surge had overwhelmed it.

“We’re effectively cut off from the world now,” Bobbit said. “It’s going to get a lot worse, and I’m really fearful for what we’re going to find in some of the low-lying areas and some of our older, more infirm citizens today.”

Storm surge accounts for about half of all hurricane-related deaths, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.

Here are other developments from across the region:

• Air travel halted: Hundreds of flights have been canceled as Tampa International Airport suspended commercial operations and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Terminal building closed Tuesday.

“Tampa airport is going to reopen for incoming flights at 4 p.m.,” DeSantis said Wednesday. “By 3 a.m. tomorrow, it will be fully reopened.” The governor said airports in Gainesville and Tallahassee are also scheduled to reopen Thursday morning.

In Georgia, the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport announced Wednesday flights out of the airport were canceled for the rest of the day.

• Bridges are shut down: Major bridges connecting St. Petersburg to mainland Florida have been closed, according to online data from the Florida Department of Transportation. Road access to smaller barrier islands also is closed, Pinellas County Emergency Management said on X, formerly Twitter.

• Power knocked out: About 262,000 homes, businesses and other power customers in Florida and about 208,000 in Georgia had no electricity around 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.com.

• Evacuations in at least 28 counties: Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Suwannee, Sumter, Taylor, Union, Volusia and Wakulla have all issued evacuation orders, some mandatory. An emergency declaration covers 49 of 67 Florida counties.

• Thousands are in shelters: About 4,500 people are taking refuge in shelters in the impact area, Red Cross data Wednesday shows. The most people – 442 – were at a site in Largo, Florida, with more than 100 shelters open across the storm’s path, the aid group said.

• Hospitals suspend services: Patients were being transferred from at least three hospitals: HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital, HCA Florida Trinity West Hospital and HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital. Meanwhile, Tampa General Hospital was constructing a water-impermeable barrier to stay open for emergency care.

• Schools and universities close: 50 county school districts issued closures, as did dozens of college and university systems across Florida.

• Thousands of inmates evacuated: About 4,000 inmates were evacuated or relocated to facilities better equipped to handle the storm, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Novak Djokovic continues to impress on his return to the US Open, breezing past Spain’s Bernabé Zapata Miralles in straight sets to reach the third round.

The Serbian is looking to add to his record tally of 23 men’s grand slam titles and the ease of the 6-4 6-1 6-1 win would suggest that winning the tournament is a real possibility.

Zapata Miralles put up a fight during the first set, but Djokovic’s class showed throughout the remainder of the matchup.

“It has been a tough match, especially in the first set with the conditions,” Djokovic said during his on-court interview after the match.

“I think after that when we had the entire court in the shadow it was a bit easier, but still a lot of humidity and on the court you could feel it more because of the hardcourt, the heat is absorbed in the surface.”

Despite the straight sets win, the world No. 2 still believes there was room for improvement in his performance, particularly during that difficult first set.

“You just have to accept it, embrace it, try to make the most out of it. I didn’t start off the match very well but second and third set have been at least a couple of levels higher than the first, so I’m very pleased with the way I ended the match,” he said.

Djokovic was dominant throughout the second and third sets and was simply too good for his opponent, ranked No. 76 in the world.

The Serbian has won the US Open on three occasions but says he still maintains the same hunger for the tournament that he has always had, citing the New York crowd as one of the main factors.

“I’m happy to be back in New York, I’m happy to be playing here in Arthur Ashe in front of you guys,” Djokovic added postgame.

“That’s what gives me strength, that’s what gives me motivation at 36 years of age and after 20 years of coming to New York. I still have the hunger, I still have the desire to play my best tennis on this court.”

Djokovic arrived at Flushing Meadows on good form after a win at the Western & Southern Open championship earlier this month – his first tournament on US soil since 2021 due to his unvaccinated status.

The 36-year-old will take on fellow countryman Laslo Djere in the third round. Djere beat French player Hugo Gaston in straight sets during the second round.

Elsewhere, there was an early upset with Stefanos Tsitsipas falling to a five-set defeat against Dominic Stricker in the second round.

Tsitsipas is ranked No. 7 in the world but was in a battle from the off against Stricker, ranked No. 128.

Stricker, making his US Open debut, eventually took the win 7-5 6-7 6-7 7-6 6-3 after a mammoth four hour and four minute-long match to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time.

“Such a great day for me, such a great win,” Stricker said after the match, per Reuters. “It gives me a lot of confidence and I think it is great to see from my team. We are working hard every day and it is so great to do that.”

Hurricane Idalia has left its mark on history, proving to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm for parts of Florida.

Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane with sustained wind speeds of 125 mph Wednesday morning in Florida’s Big Bend region – where the panhandle meets the peninsula – near Keaton Beach.

Follow live updates: Idalia spreading damage across the Southeast

Idalia’s journey since it first formed in the Caribbean Sea over the weekend has been anything but ordinary. Here are some of its most notable superlatives:

Strongest in more than 125 years

With maximum winds of 125 mph, Idalia was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region in more than 125 years.

The last storm of Idalia’s strength to slam the region was an unnamed Category 3 hurricane in 1896. The unnamed hurricane also had sustained winds of 125 mph at landfall.

Idalia was the first major hurricane – Category 3 or stronger – on record to track through Florida’s Apalachee Bay, a northern inlet in the Big Bend.

Record-breaking, life-threatening storm surge

Idalia’s storm surge was record-breaking from Tampa to the Big Bend.

More than 8 feet of storm surge sent water levels in Cedar Key, Florida, to 6.8 feet above their highest normal tides on Wednesday morning. This shattered the previous high water level of 5.99 feet from Hurricane Hermine in 2016.

In Tampa Bay, water levels surpassed 4.5 feet on Wednesday morning, exceeding the previous high water mark of 3.79 feet from Tropical Storm Eta in 2020.

Clearwater Beach also set a new record-high water level at 4.05 feet, surpassing the previous record of 4.02 feet from the 1993 Storm of the Century.

Storm surge rushing through the Steinhatchee River in Steinhatchee, Florida, also caused water levels there to rise 9 feet in two hours and hit record levels there.

Rare warnings were issued

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee issued two extreme wind warnings on Wednesday morning as the strongest winds from Idalia came ashore. These types of warnings are only issued when sustained winds of 115 mph or greater are expected in an area.

Until Wednesday, only 27 extreme wind warnings had ever been issued in the continental US. The majority of these warnings have been issued in Florida.

Rapid intensification

Hurricane Idalia went through a period of rapid intensification Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning as it tracked over the exceptionally warm water of the Gulf of Mexico.

Scientists have been alarmed at how warm ocean temperatures have been this year, including in the Gulf if Mexico and around southern Florida, where sea surface temperature climbed to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this summer.

Average sea surface temperature in Idalia’s path was recently measured at nearly 88 degrees Fahrenheit — a record there since data began in the early 1980s.

With an enormous pool of warm-water energy to draw from, the hurricane’s sustained winds increased a staggering 55 mph over the course of 24 hours. Rapid intensification is defined as an increase of at least 35 mph within a 24 hour period.

Idalia was a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph sustained winds early Tuesday morning. By early Wednesday, it was a monstrous Category 4 with sustained winds of 130 mph.

A home-making mason bee, a motherly possum’s midnight munchies and a macaque lying on a deer’s back are just some of highly commended images from this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Other images include a bison kicking up a flurry of snow, a pair of storks against burning grasslands in Kenya and a distressed elephant following a collision with a train.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, where a selection of 100 images will be exhibited after the winners are announced on October 10.

In its 59th year, the competition received 49,957 entries from photographers hailing from 95 countries, organizers said.

Entries were judged anonymously based on their originality, creativity and technical skill by an international panel of experts, organizers added.

Kathy Moran, chair of the judging panel, said they felt a “powerful tension between wonder and woe” when selecting the images this year.

“What most impressed the jury was the range of subjects, from absolute beauty, rarely seen behaviors and species to images that are stark reminders of what we are doing to the natural world,” she said in a press release.

Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, lauded the competition for showcasing “some of nature’s most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world.”

Photography is a “powerful catalyst for change” when faced with “urgent biodiversity and climate crises,” Gurr added in the release.

Images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum from October 13. The exhibition will then go on a UK and international tour, organizers added.

ESPN’s lead tennis analyst John McEnroe said he tested positive for the virus that causes Covid-19 and will miss some time covering the US Open tennis championships.

“Unfortunately, after feeling a bit under the weather, I tested positive for Covid,” McEnroe said in a statement Tuesday. “I’m watching the US Open from home & can’t wait to get back to work soon.”

ESPN said it wishes the tennis Hall of Famer well and looks “forward to welcoming him back when he’s ready.”

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who have a positive Covid test should stay home for at least five days and isolate from others. People who have moderate or severe cases need to isolate for at least 10 days.

McEnroe’s younger brother, Patrick, who is also an ESPN broadcaster, tested positive for coronavirus in March 2020.

John McEnroe joined the network for its first US Open coverage in 2009. As a player, McEnroe won four of his seven Grand Slam singles titles at the US Open.

The final tennis major of the year started Monday and concludes September 10.

Venus Williams’ record-extending 24th appearance in the US Open singles draw came to an early end on Tuesday as she suffered a heavy first-round defeat against Belgium’s Greet Minnen.

The 43-year-old Williams, handed a wild card entry to the tournament, was beaten 6-1 6-1 by Minnen at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It marked the veteran American’s heaviest defeat at the US Open since she made her debut in 1997, according to Reuters.

“My preparation was definitely minimal,” Williams told reporters after her landmark 100th US Open match. “But I don’t think that it necessarily affected the bulk of my performance.

“I think there are just shots where my footwork wasn’t really there. A lot of backhands I missed where my feet just weren’t there. That’s normal when you don’t spend a lot of time on the court.”

Prior to the tournament, the seven-time grand slam champion had played just nine tour-level matches this year, chalking up three wins in that time.

Against Minnen, she quickly fell to a 0-4 deficit in the first set before getting on the scoreboard with a hold of serve.

However, the 26-year-old varied her shots well as she attempted to move Williams around the court. After wrapping up the first set, she raced into a 5-0 lead in the second and soon completed the victory as Williams drilled a forehand into the net.

“I really have to give credit to her,” the former world No. 1 said of her opponent’s performance.

“It was just incredible, honestly. I mean, if she can play like that, you imagine that she can be in the top 10 or perhaps No. 1 or maybe win a grand slam – something like that – if she can play at this level.”

Minnen next plays another American, world No. 204 Sachia Vickery, as she bids to reach the third round of a grand slam for only the second time in her career.

Jabeur battles through illness

Elsewhere in the women’s singles draw, last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur struggled physically in her 7-5 7-6(7-4) win against Camila Osorio.

The Tunisian, who was beaten in the Wimbledon final last month, had difficulties with her breathing during the match, often coughing between points. She was assessed by a doctor towards the end of the first set but managed to dig deep against the Colombian and record her 50th grand slam singles win.

“It wasn’t an easy match,” Jabeur said during her on-court interview. “She plays unbelievable. I’m not feeling my best today … She asked me if I’m feeling okay and I told her I’m not really.

“She told me I’m such a warrior and I apologized for bringing the doctor on the court. I did not do it on purpose and I know it is tough sometimes to play a player that is injured or not feeling well on the court. But she took it very well.”

Jabeur next faces the Czech Republic’s Linda Nosková in the second round.

On a day of few surprises for the top-ranked players in the women’s draw, there were also straight-set wins for second-seeded Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and American Jessica Pegula, though France’s seventh-seed Caroline Garcia lost 6-4 6-1 against China’s Wang Yafan.

Editor’s Note: Find the latest Hurricane Idalia coverage here.

Hurricane Idalia could hit Florida’s west coast as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm Wednesday morning, the National Hurricane Center warned as Idalia continued to intensify and churn toward the state late Tuesday.

Officials across coastal communities repeatedly pleaded with residents Tuesday to immediately evacuate, stressing that high waters from the storm could prove deadly and first responders will not be able to help until the storm passes. But, desperate to save their homes and businesses and not leave others behind, some Floridians are staying put.

“If you haven’t evacuated, you’re north of Fort Myers, you’re up into the central Gulf Coast, northern Big Bend area, if you have not evacuated, you need to do that right now. You need to drop what you’re doing, you need to go to your room, pack up, pack your things, and get to safety,” Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie warned Tuesday evening.

“We’re going to experience historical flood surge.”

The storm was at Category 2 with sustained winds of up to 110 mph late Tuesday shortly before midnight, centered roughly 120 miles southwest of Florida’s Cedar Key, the hurricane center said.

Its outer bands have been lashing Florida for hours, already causing flooding in some coastal areas. It’s expected to continue strengthening into a Category 4 hurricane – meaning sustained winds of at least 130 mph – before it reaches Florida’s Big Bend coast Wednesday morning.

“Destructive life-threatening” winds will hit the area where Idalia’s core moves onshore, the hurricane center warned. Storm surge inundation of 12 to 16 feet above ground level – high enough to stack a wall of seawater halfway up the second floor of an average building – and destructive waves could be “catastrophic” between the Wakulla-Jefferson County line and Yankeetown, Florida, the center said.

Strong wind will spread inland across northern Florida and southern Georgia near Idalia’s track, likely knocking out power along the way, the hurricane center said.

“There is great potential for death and catastrophic devastation,” the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office warned on Tuesday, saying coastal residents were ordered to evacuate. “Storm surge on the coastal regions are projected as non-survivable.” The county, just southeast of the state capital, Tallahassee, is part of the Big Bend region.

“That is storm surge that, if you’re there while that hits, it’s going to be very difficult to survive,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a Tuesday evening news conference.

A tornado watch is also in effect for more than 7 million people across central and western Florida, including Tampa, until 6 a.m. Wednesday. Short-lived and usually weak tornadoes are often associated with the outer bands of tropical systems that make landfall.

‘We haven’t seen a storm this bad, ever’

On the island city of Cedar Key, on the southern side of the Big Bend, Mayor Heath Davis urged residents under a mandatory evacuation order to leave immediately.

“This storm is worse than we’ve ever seen. My family has been here for many generations, we haven’t seen a storm this bad, ever,” he said Tuesday. All emergency services will stop Tuesday evening as winds pick up, the mayor said, adding he does not want to put employees’ lives in danger.

Cedar Key could be cut off by the high storm surge, National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said.

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Parts of Levy County, where Cedar Key is, could see “powerful battering waves” and life-threatening flooding, and many buildings could be damaged or washed away, the National Weather Service said.

DeSantis stressed Tuesday that residents under evacuation orders should leave now, as weather conditions will only deteriorate.

“If you do choose to stay in one of the evacuation zones, first responders will not be able to get you until after the storm has passed,” he added. Nearly 600 urban search and rescue personnel were prepared to be deployed to help in those efforts, the governor said.

Storm surge was captured on video Tuesday by several residents across southwest Florida, including Fort Myers Beach, a community still reeling from the devastation it suffered last fall from Hurricane Ian – which leveled coastal Florida and left more than 100 dead. Florida resident Scott Martin shared a video on Facebook showing roads in Fort Myers Beach already flooded and the “storm hasn’t even hit,” he wrote.

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Some Floridians stay to protect homes, livelihoods

“We got to see the destruction Hurricane Ian did down in Fort Myers … We’ve seen stuff I didn’t know a storm could do, and so it was a real big eye-opener to my whole family,” Norwood said. “With the insurance and stuff, we’re all worried and that’s why we’re kind of staying here to see if there’s anything that we can do to protect what we have.”

She says she’s worried about what the storm’s damage will mean for that community.

“Steinhatchee does not have the infrastructure to handle these storms,” Batts-Bennett said. “I fear that if this is catastrophic, the people that make Steinhatchee will not be able to be in Steinhatchee because they wont be able to rebuild.”

“The landscape of Steinhatchee will be changed forever,” she added.

Governor urges residents to seek higher ground

“The No. 1 killer in all of these storms is water, whether it’s the storm surge that’s going to happen at the coast or the excessive rainfall that might happen inland that causes urban flash flooding,” she said.

Storm surge accounts for nearly half of all hurricane-related fatalities, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says, and is the reason behind most storm evacuations.

State and local officials reminded residents they often don’t have to go far – tens of miles, versus hundreds – to get to a safer place.

“You do not have to leave the state,” DeSantis said. “Get to higher ground in a safe structure. You can ride the storm out there and go back to your home.”

What else to know

• Evacuations in at least 28 counties: Alachua, Baker, Citrus, Dixie, Franklin, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Nassau, Pasco, Pinellas, Putnam, Sarasota, Suwannee, Sumter, Taylor, Union, Volusia and Wakulla have all issued evacuation orders, some mandatory. State tolls are waived in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sumter counties, DeSantis said Tuesday. All counties have at least one pet-friendly shelter, the governor added, urging residents to “please take care of your pets.”

• Air and train travel halted: Major airlines have canceled hundreds of flights as Tampa International Airport suspended commercial operations Tuesday and St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport Terminal building closed Tuesday afternoon. Amtrak has canceled at least 12 East Coast routes and is modifying others.

• Emergencies declared: DeSantis expanded an emergency declaration to 49 of 67 Florida counties on Monday morning. Several local jurisdictions have also declared emergencies. North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia have also declared states of emergency

• Power outages expected: DeSantis told residents to prepare to be without power. “If you are in the path of the storm, you should expect power outages so please prepare for that,” the governor told residents Sunday.

• Hospital system suspending services: Patients will be transferred from at least three hospitals: HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital, HCA Florida Trinity West Hospital and HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital.