The center of Hurricane Idalia has slammed Florida’s Gulf Coast at dangerous Category 3 strength, inflicting deadly storm surge and catastrophic winds not seen in this region in 125 years while promising untold devastation far beyond the landfall zone.

Idalia moved ashore midmorning Wednesday near Keaton Beach in the Big Bend area – where the panhandle meets the peninsula – with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and has begun an ominous trudge across Florida and the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, where residents are urged to beware the sort of floods, strong winds and tornadoes already impacting Florida’s west coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES

It is the third hurricane to make landfall in Florida in the last 12 months, following Ian last September and Nicole in October.

Residents had been urged to flee and the National Guard prepped for rescues as “extremely dangerous” Idalia took aim with once-in-a-lifetime damaging winds and a life-threatening storm surge of up to 16 feet, the National Hurricane Center said.

“There is great potential for death and catastrophic devastation,” warned the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, in the Big Bend region southeast of Tallahassee.

Even before landfall, “we’re starting to see an almost apocalyptic scene here,” Cedar Key resident Michael Bobbit said early Wednesday.

“Four hours from now, Cedar Key will be unrecognizable.”

A rare extreme wind warning – issued in cases of life-threatening sustained winds of 115 mph or more – was issued for parts of the Big Bend region – including Dixie and Taylor counties, even as Idalia’s sustained winds slowed slightly around 7 a.m. from Category 4 strength.

“Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to the safe room in your shelter,” the National Weather Service office in Tallahassee warned. “Take action now to protect your life!”

A tornado watch also is in place for nearly 12 million people across central and northern Florida and southeast Georgia until 3 p.m., Wednesday, as conditions continue to deteriorate, with coastal streets and lots flooding in places including Tampa, St. Petersburg and Fort Myers Beach as ocean water pushes ashore, rain pours down and winds whip.

Destruction is possible far behind the forecast cone, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday morning. At least 11 tornado warnings already had been issued – even in places “way outside the cone that you see on your TV screens,” he said.

Track Idalia here >>

As its eye moves onshore in the Big Bend region, Idalia’s core will bring destructive winds and storm surge high enough to stack a wall of seawater halfway up the second floor of an average building. It could be the first major hurricane at Category 3 or stronger to hit the area.

“This has the makings of an unprecedented event for this part of the state,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee said. “There are NO major hurricanes in the historical dataset going back to 1851 that have tracked into Apalachee Bay. None.

“Don’t mess around with this one.”

DeSantis warned of “significant, significant impact” to the Big Bend region, saying first responders will not be able to reach the few people who have stayed in evacuation zones until after the storm passes.

“You really got to go now,” he urged Big Bend residents Tuesday evening. “Now’s the time.”

Do not try to “‘ride’ this one out,” police told residents in the Big Bend city of Perry, adding storm surge higher than 15 feet is “not survivable if you are caught in it.” Storm surge accounts for nearly half of all hurricane-related fatalities, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.

In Tampa, well south of the projected landfall zone, Idalia’s storm surge began to flood streets Tuesday within a half-hour, Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.

“I witnessed for myself people driving in the water,” he said at a storm briefing Tuesday. “Don’t be that person. Remember: Turn around, don’t drown.”

Storm surge could cut off Cedar Key, on the southern side of the Big Bend, National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said.

“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,” Mayor Heath Davis said Tuesday, warning that all emergency services would stop Tuesday evening as winds pick up.

Here are other developments around the state:

• 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.

• Power knocked out: About 116,000 homes, businesses and other power customers had no electricity as of 7:25 a.m. Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.com.

• 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.

• Rescuers on standby: At least eight urban search-and-rescue teams, 33 ambulance strike teams and 5,500 National Guard members are ready, and the Coast Guard is on standby, officials said Wednesday morning.

• 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 remain open for emergency care.

• Bridges will close: DeSantis warned residents in the path of Hurricane Idalia that once winds reach 40 mph or more, bridges will not be “safe to traverse” and will be shut down. High winds led officials to close the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which connects St. Petersburg to Manatee County, Pinellas County Emergency Management announced Wednesday morning.

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

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

• Much of Florida under state of emergency: DeSantis has issued an emergency declaration to 49 of 67 Florida counties.

Florida won’t be the only state feeling Idalia’s impacts. After the storm makes landfall, damaging winds and heavy rain will spread far inland into Florida, parts of Georgia and even the Carolinas.

After hitting Florida, Idalia’s center is forecast to move near or along the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina late Wednesday and Thursday, the hurricane center said.

“Idalia is likely to still be a hurricane while moving across southern Georgia, and possibly when it reaches the coast of Georgia or southern South Carolina late today,” the hurricane center said Wednesday morning.

North Carolina and Georgia have also declared states of emergency as they prepare for floods and hurricane force winds.

Ever dream of quitting the rat race, hopping in an RV and taking life one day at a time, with nothing ahead of you except the open road?

Steve and Wendy McGrath, a couple in their 30s from Phoenix, Arizona have done just that. Since leaving their jobs last year, the couple has sold their home and is now living in a comfy 45-foot RV as they tour the US.

And they aren’t alone. The McGraths are on the road with their two young kids – Brady and Ainsley – as well as Ms. Pikachu the cat and a German shepherd named Eis.

Before setting out on the road, the family trialed camper life for a full year in Phoenix to allow the children to finish elementary school. It also gave them the opportunity to condense all of their necessities into a small space. In May, they finally hit the road.

They’ve since spent the summer in Maine and plan to simply go wherever the map guides them.

“I don’t want to work 40 hours a week, I don’t want a respectable job, I don’t want to spend the majority of my life working hard to enjoy a few weeks a year,” says Steve, a former ER nurse and US veteran who was deployed to war zones. “I won’t be a victim to the trap that is the American dream.

“Wendy and I have decided this way of life just doesn’t cut it anymore. We are doing things our own way. We are going to live every day like we are on vacation. We are going to roam this country and others. We are going to make every day, week, month and year truly count. If all goes well, we will not regret anything we have seen, done or experienced.”

Wendy, a former safety operations manager at an American airline, says the stress and pressure of her job had become unbearable. Coming home late from work every day, she says she was no longer able to spend quality time with her family.

Schooling from the road

Last year the McGraths sold their 200 square feet, five-bedroom house in a developed Phoenix neighborhood for $400,000, as well as their cars and moved into the RV, which is pulled by a truck.

They are now spending much less than when they had a house, roughly $1,200 per month for gas, food and basic needs.

However, mechanical issues are among the unpredictable extra costs they face, and they’ve already had to stop in Illinois for repairs.

But they are confident the family will be able to live off the money from the home sale while they are on the road.

Both parents say they are open to the possibility of finding a “simple” part-time online job to earn some extra spending dollars, but it’s not their core objective.

Right now, offering their children a better, happier and healthier life is their priority.

Eight-year-old Brady and Ainsley, seven, no longer go to a brick-and-mortar school. Their parents are ‘RV-schooling’ them, particularly their father who has also taken on the role of cook. He says he loves preparing fresh dishes each day and is proud to say that since they left Phoenix they have not eaten a single frozen meal or any fast food.

“The idea behind our choice was to simplify life, after the kids got good foundations of reading we wanted to teach them what the real world is,” says Wendy. “Instead of learning written things inside a textbook approved by the US government, it is better to show them what fishing is about by going fishing.

“This way they learn a lot of stuff from another viewpoint, and we are able to protect and keep them safe. Every week in some school in the US there is a shooting, it is no longer safe sending them to school.”

Brady says he “likes to see real bunnies, geese and chickens” in parks and natural reserves rather than learning about these in a classroom, even though he does miss his buddies but chats with them over the phone. Little Ainsley adores seeing new things and spending time with her family, says McGrath.

Steve argues that piling up working years and struggling to survive in the rat race eventually makes one angry and bitter.

“The issue was no longer having any work-life balance; Wendy was often stuck at work 16 hours straight, missing on the things we planned as a family,” he says.

“At the emergency department, I was okay dealing with stress but it was just getting to be the old same stuff. Then Covid hit, and I realized how stupid managers were making policies that had no sense (as) they didn’t work with us.”

Not having a plan doesn’t scare them one bit. On the contrary, traveling without knowing where they will go next is exciting.

“We’ve already fallen in love with our trailer roots,” says Steve. “Our typical day is: wake up without the alarm, have coffee outside in the fresh breeze, ask my kids what are their priorities for the day, whether they want to go to the lake to swim and fish. Or take the bikes for a ride, or go for a walk.

“Then in the evenings we play board games, watch a movie, have dinner, go to sleep. Wake the next morning and see what’s up for the day. We have no schedule, no agenda.”

Last stop: Latronico, Italy

The only destination they do plan to reach at some point is Latronico, a tiny rural village in the southern Italian region of Basilicata.

That’s the only property they now own.

But they won’t be taking their RV across the Atlantic when they do eventually make the move. They’ll store it at a friend’s house and fly to Italy. Steve says he was born in Germany and plans to apply for dual citizenship.

According to Wendy, Latronico and their new life on the road have a lot in common.

“We love the village’s laid-back vibe, green scenery and thermal park with the beautiful fountains,” she says.

“It’s totally the opposite from the chaotic center of Phoenix where we lived. Living on the road has an appeal similar to that of Latronico in getting back to nature, away from iPhones and iPads. It’s like going back to our roots.”

The plane was carrying 151 passengers and 14 crew members from Milan when the turbulence happened, a Delta spokesperson said. The 11 people injured include crew members and passengers.

The extent of injuries was not immediately clear Tuesday.

“Delta Care Team members are mobilizing to connect with customers on Delta Flight 175 that experienced severe turbulence before landing safely in Atlanta Tuesday,” the spokesperson said.

The flight was located about 40 miles northeast of Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport when the turbulence occurred, and it eventually landed safely, according to the Federal Aviation Agency.

“Our priority is taking care of our customers and crew who sustained injuries. We are grateful for the first responders who met the aircraft to provide medical attention and who are transporting the injured to the hospital,” the Delta spokesperson added.

When Vash Chhabra started thinking about how to propose to his girlfriend, Riiya Shukla, his mind went straight to her favorite Bollywood films.

But instead of trying to create a complicated song-and-dance routine, he had another idea: the airport.

Airports have played a big role in Chhabra and Shukla’s relationship, too.

Shukla, an Auckland native, lives in Melbourne, Australia, where she works for the Victoria state government. She and Chhabra, who still lives in New Zealand, have been in a long-distance relationship.

So Chhabra hatched a plan: he’d arrange for their loved ones to be at the Auckland Airport when Shukla arrived for a visit. He would be there waiting, on one knee, ring in hand.

He also had another idea – he would propose to Shukla via the airport announcement system. Getting their loved ones on board for the big day was easy, but going through the layers of airport staff and protocol was a challenge.

Chhabra cold-called and sent LinkedIn messages to any airport employees he could find. But it was when he finally connected with Laura Platts, the Auckland Airport communications manager, that everything began to fall into place.

Platts helped organize logistics, which included bringing a cake, flowers and two very excited families to the airport, as well as a professional crew to film the whole thing.

Chhabra was able to record his proposal, to be played on the airport PA system – but it took eight tries before he managed to calm his nerves enough to get it right.

Altogether, it took a month for Chhabra, Platts and the other airport staffers to prepare for the big day.

Flight delay, lost luggage threatens plan

Shukla, thinking she was just taking another routine hop over the Tasman Sea, had no idea what was waiting for her on the other side.

Although she took the Melbourne-Auckland commuter flight so often it felt like she could do it in her sleep, fate had other plans on August 18.

First, her flight was canceled and rescheduled for later in the day. Then she nearly missed her flight because of bad traffic, leaving her rushing through security to make it on board just before the doors slammed shut.

When she landed in Auckland, Shukla realized that her luggage hadn’t arrived. She planned to go to a service counter to complain, but her family members kept calling and encouraging her to forget about the bags and just come out to meet them in the arrivals hall.

Finally, she did.

And there was Chhabra, on one knee, with loved ones behind him holding up signs spelling out “will you marry me?” as his pre-recorded proposal played over the PA system.

Suddenly, thoughts of lost baggage were gone.

“I tend to get lost in his eyes and as romantic as this sounds, it’s actually true. I do. For a while, it just felt like it was just us. Then, all of our family and friends came and they all hugged us. It was pretty magical.”

For Chhabra, the weeks of planning and days of panicking behind the scenes were all worth it.

The couple plans to wed in India. Shukla is from a Hindu Gujarati background, while Chhabra’s family is Sikh and from both Gujarati and Punjab.

For the time being, they still live in two different countries, and now they plan to get married in a third, with a honeymoon likely in a fourth. But both Chhabra and Shukla feel like their addresses are irrelevant as long as they have each other.

“As much as I thought Melbourne was my home,” Shukla says, “now, I would say he is my home.”

Noah Lyles, the fastest man in the world at the moment, has caused a stir and appeared to irk some of the NBA’s biggest stars by questioning why basketball players call themselves world champions after winning the NBA Finals.

The US sprinter won both the 100m and 200m world titles last week at the World Athletics Championships, becoming the first man to win a sprint double since Usain Bolt in 2015.

When speaking to reporters at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Lyles said: “World champion of what? The United States? Don’t get me wrong, I love the US, at times, but that ain’t the world.”

“We are the world,” he added, referring to athletes at the World Athletics Championships.

“We have almost every country out here fighting, thriving, putting on their flag to show they are represented. There ain’t no flags in the NBA.”

Lyles, who is never shy in front of camera, appeared to be making the remarks tongue in cheek, laughing and smiling with reporters throughout his answer. He did, however, spark a reaction from some NBA stars.

Kevin Durant, who has been named NBA Finals MVP twice in his illustrious career, led the charge.

“Somebody help this brother,” he wrote on Instagram, responding to an ESPN post.

Four-time NBA champion Draymond Green also got involved, writing on Instagram, “When being smart goes wrong” with the face-palm emoji.

Denver Nuggets star Aaron Gordon, though, appeared to see the funny side, writing on Instagram: “Whatever … I’m smoking buddy in the 200m.”

While the NBA consists only of teams from the US and Canada, the majority of the world’s best players play in the league.

Many of its biggest stars are from overseas, such as two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić from Serbia and superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece.

Fellow US sprinter and 100m women’s champion Sha’Carri Richardson weighed in on the debate and defended Lyles.

“I’m standing with Noah on this one,” she posted on social media.

“The organization [NBA] have players from different countries but do they compete against different countries. You have to go against the world in order to be a world champion.”

We may not be seeing Lyles, or Richardson, courtside at an NBA game anytime soon.

The Spanish government has taken further steps toward suspending beleaguered soccer chief Luis Rubiales after submitting all necessary documentation to the country’s Court of Arbitration of Sport (TAD).

The development comes as pressure continues to mount on Rubiales ever since he gave an unwanted kiss to soccer star Jennifer Hermoso after Spain won the Women’s World Cup final on August 20.

Rubiales was suspended by FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, from all football-related activities for 90 days on Saturday, though he could also be suspended by the Spanish government’s High Council of Sport (CSD).

A government statement released on Tuesday said that Rubiales displayed “unacceptable behavior” at the World Cup final and called his actions “very serious” violations of the country’s Law of Sport.

If the government’s case is accepted by TAD, an independent body, and the tribunal agrees that the infractions are “very serious” offenses, then the CSD is in a position to “temporarily and provisionally suspend” Rubiales, the government statement added.

Rubiales has admitted that he made a mistake but called the kiss consensual, while Hermoso said that she did not give her permission to be kissed and felt violated.

“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part,” she said on social media last week. “Simply put I was not respected.”

Speaking to reporters in Madrid on Tuesday, Spanish culture and sports minister Miquel Iceta said that Spain is witnessing “social and sporting backlash” over the events that unfolded after La Roja’s Women’s World Cup final victory against England.

Iceta also said that the government welcomed plans for a “deep restructure” of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) under interim president Pedro Rocha.

On Monday, all 19 regional presidents called for Rubiales to resign while also offering unanimous support for Rocha, who stepped into the role following Rubiales’ suspension by FIFA.

What happens next?

Should TAD agree with the assessment that Rubiales’ actions were “very serious” and initiate proceedings on the Spanish government’s case file, then the CSD will be able to convene its Directors’ Commission within 48 hours to provisionally suspend Rubiales for the length of the investigation.

If TAD finds that Rubiales’ actions were of a lesser degree than “very serious,” the CSD would not be able to suspend him and the process would be drawn out further.

Last week, the president of the CSD, Víctor Francos, said that the council would look to suspend Rubiales as quickly as possible, while also acknowledging that it was a “complicated process.”

Francos said that this could be considered a “‘Me Too’ moment for Spanish football” and that the events in Sydney after the World Cup final “can never happen again.”

Rubiales has also been requested to hand back his corporate phone and laptop, according to the spokesman, and won’t be able to use federation funds for his legal defense.

‘Forced’ apology

The pressure on Rubiales to resign from his position as RFEF president has only intensified since he dramatically refused to step down during a speech at the federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday, vowing to “fight to the end.”

He described the kiss as “mutual” and spoke of “unjust” campaigns and “fake feminism” – comments which prompted fierce backlash from the soccer community, politicians and members of the public.

“The moment we saw the images, we automatically thought about our bosses, our professors, our teachers in the schools.”

Inés Jiménez, a 39-year-old project manager who also attended the protests, felt that Rubiales was “forced” to apologize, rather than saying something that “came from his heart.”

“The problem right now is that men at the top of the federation treat us as if they were our fathers, our protectors, as if we belonged to them,” said Fuentes.

Along with mounting public pressure to resign, Rubiales also faces an investigation that could end in sexual aggression charges from Spanish prosecutors.

Meanwhile, his mother, Ángeles Béjar, locked herself in a church and went on hunger strike on Monday in Rubiales’ hometown of Motril, located in southern Spain, to protest what she called the “inhumane, bloodthirsty hunt” against her son, according to Spanish media reports.

Home crowd favorite Jessica Pegula made the perfect start to her US Open campaign, beating underdog Camila Giorgi in straight sets.

Pegula made light work of her Italian opponent, breezing to a 6-2 6-2 opening-round victory in just an hour and 22 minutes.

The 29-year-old American is considered by many to be one of the frontrunners in a wide-open women’s field and this impressive victory would have done little to dissuade fans of her chances of going far at Flushing Meadows.

Pegula took the initiative early in the opening set when she broke Giorgi’s serve at the first time of asking, winning the very first game of the match. The world No. 3 didn’t look back after this and continued to power on to take the first set.

Giorgi put up a more stubborn defense in the second set, but buoyed by the home crowd support Pegula was eventually able to overpower her opponent to take the final set by the same score.

“It’s nice that even though I am the top American, I can’t imagine carrying a ton of pressure if it was only me,” Pegula said of the early success of the US women post-match.

“It’s nice that there is a lot of us that are doing well and that have chances to go deep here.

“It’s a good vibe right now. I hope we can have good success at this tournament for sure,” Pegula added.

Elsewhere on the women’s side of the draw, Pegula’s compatriot Madison Keys was also able to make her way into the second round.

Keys came up against Dutch player Arantxa Rus in the opening round and like Pegula, was able to advance with a comfortable victory – winning the match 6-2 6-4.

Keys, ranked No. 17 in the world, seized control of the match early on, winning the first four games of the encounter while storming to take the first set 6-2.

The second set was more of a contest, but Keys’ class showed as she found a way to get past her 32-year-old opponent.

Pegula will face either Romania’s Patricia Maria Țig or Canada’s Rebecca Marino in the second round, while Keys will come up against Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer.

Wild card winner

On the men’s side of the draw, American wild card Michael Mmoh delivered one of the biggest upsets of the US Open so far with a win against Karen Khachanov.

Khachanov is ranked No. 11 in the world but was returning to the court for the first time since losing in the quarterfinals of the French Open following injury troubles.

Buoyed by the home crowd, Mmoh stormed to a 6-2 6-2 6-4 victory to march onto round two – matching his best ever US Open result.

Mmoh will take on fellow US player John Isner in the next round after the veteran breezed to victory against Facundo Diaz Acosta in straight sets.

Playing in his last ever tournament, the 38-year-old Isner rolled back the years to take a 6-4 6-3 7-6 win against his Argentinian opponent.

Hurricane Idalia is now a Category 2 storm as it approaches Florida, threatening a potentially catastrophic collision with the state’s west coast while officials plead with residents to evacuate.

The storm was packing 100 mph winds Tuesday evening, and its outer bands have been lashing Florida for hours, already causing flooding in some coastal areas. By Tuesday night, parts of the state’s Gulf Coast should expect “life-threatening” storm surge – when the storm’s winds push the ocean onshore – and hurricane conditions, the National 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.”

Idalia will continue getting stronger until it makes landfall as an expected Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning in Florida’s Big Bend region, which includes Taylor County and is just southeast of the state capital, Tallahassee. Idalia will bring powerful winds and a potential storm surge of 10 to 15 feet to the area – high enough to stack a wall of seawater halfway up the second floor of an average building.

“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.

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.

FOLLOW HURRICANE IDALIA LIVE UPDATES

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.

The hurricane was roughly 195 miles southwest of Tampa at roughly 5 p.m. ET, the hurricane center said.

While the center of the hurricane isn’t expected to make landfall in the Tampa area, any wobble or shift in its track over the next 12 hours dramatically increases the region’s surge levels, already forecast to be dangerous.

Track Idalia here >>

‘Drop what you’re doing’ and evacuate, official says

“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.”

“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.”

Here’s the latest:

• 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 and Georgia have also declared states of emergency.

• National Guard activated: More than 5,500 Guard members have been activated for storm response. Florida officials also activated eight search and rescue teams and stationed over 580 rescue personnel to help, officials said Tuesday. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has also deployed search and rescue teams to assist with disaster response in Florida.

• 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.

“We want everyone to take this storm seriously,” Barbara Tripp, Tampa’s Fire Rescue Chief said during a news conference, adding residents also should clear debris from property and look out for neighbors who may need help.

“Once the wind reaches a certain miles per hour, Tampa Fire Rescue will not be able to respond,” Tripp warned.

Cheers ring out as the four women take to the stage and launch into a synchronized dance routine in front of giant speakers blasting music.

Singing in Korean to a crowd in Seoul and adorned in matching chains and studded clothing, they appear every bit the typical K-pop girl group. There’s just one difference: None of them are Korean.

This is Blackswan, a K-pop group whose members hail from around the world. There is Gabi from Brazil; NVee from the United States; Sriya from India; and Senegal-born Fatou, who now lives in Belgium.

Together, they are hoping to break through into a highly competitive, multibillion-dollar industry – but first they must convince skeptics that they are the real deal.

Blackswan is not the first K-pop act to include foreign members. Groups like GOT7 and UNIQ had a mix of Korean and Chinese members, for instance. But in the past such groups have tended to fizzle out, or worse: EXP Edition, a boy band with mostly White members and no Koreans at all, stirred controversy when they emerged several years ago, with some critics accusing them of cultural appropriation.

For Fatou, the members’ nationalities and their lack of Korean heritage matters little. They still have the K-factor.

Gabi agreed, chiming in: “Everything that a K-pop group has, we have.”

Trained the Korean way

The four members may not be Korean, but their journey to Blackswan followed a well-worn, uniquely Korean path that involved auditioning to become trainees in a hyper-competitive program.

Just being accepted as trainees by Korean label DR Music was an achievement. From a young age they had all harbored a love of music and performance, with ambitions of joining the entertainment industry. Each had fallen love with K-pop after being introduced to it by friends.

But it was an arduous path. They had to take intensive lessons in Korean – a difficult language for foreigners to master – on top of endless rehearsals in singing, dancing, rapping and more, Fatou said.

“(Instructors) expect you to do everything even though it hurts, you’re crying, you feel like your body is going to break. If they tell you to stay in that position, you have to stay in that position,” Fatou said.

A culture of competitiveness and social hierarchy – reflecting norms of Korean daily life and education – made things even harder, especially as they also had to cope with being away from family and adjusting to life in a foreign country.

But such hardships are part of what makes a K-pop star, according to Yoon Deung-ryong, the CEO of DR Management, who said this sort of training was needed to make aspiring musicians “presentable.”

Many foreign trainees ended up returning to their home countries because “they couldn’t adjust to the Korean system,” he said. Those from Europe or South America were “raised to be independent” and thus didn’t have a “tendency to follow instructions,” said Yoon.

The four trainees chosen to be Blackswan members were “the ones who overcame all that,” he added.

K-pop stars are made, not born

As tough as the training was for Blackswan, many K-pop stars have been through even harsher regimens, starting younger and training for longer.

Some trainees begin at just eight years old, living in dorms away from home, and following strict diets and rigorous daily schedules.

The members of global sensation Blackpink – which headlined Coachella this year, the first Asian act ever to do so – trained for six years before their debut as a group, while superstar G-Dragon reportedly trained for 11 years at two major agencies before debuting.

By contrast, some of the newer Blackswan members have been training for a year or less. Fatou, the longest-standing member, joined the company only four years ago.

This process is vastly different from how musicians are developed in other countries, and is a defining feature of the K-pop genre, said Lee Gyu-tag, who teaches pop music and media studies at George Mason University Korea.

Trainees aren’t taught only how to perform – they’re taught how to handle the media, how to interact with fans, and even how to conduct their private lives, Lee said.

It’s good practice for the immense pressures placed on real K-pop stars, or “idols,” after they debut – they are often forbidden from dating or disclosing details of their personal lives, lest they anger or alienate their fans, though this is slowly beginning to change.

“What (labels) are doing is not only making records, but making a human (reach their) potential to become an actual musician,” Lee added. “It is an essential characteristic of the K-pop music industry.”

Changing face of K-pop

The diversity of the group reflects the changing face of K-pop, which has exploded in popularity across the world over the past decade, with groups like BTS and Blackpink becoming international stars and household names.

And the popularity of K-pop is just part of a larger cultural wave, with K-dramas, Korean beauty products and Korean fashion finding similar success overseas.

This surge in interest toward all things Korean has prompted many foreign fans to travel to South Korea and even learn the language. For some, the natural next step has been to try and become a K-pop star themselves.

“When I was 15, my friend showed me a K-pop music video … and since then, I kind of got stuck on the K-pop genre,” Fatou said. She experimented with different types of music, but felt certain that K-pop was “what I want to do.”

Meanwhile, experts point out the genre has always been loosely defined.

K-pop doesn’t have specific shared musical features like a type of beat or lyrical style, said Lee. Instead, many K-pop artists release vastly different types of music.

And the genre isn’t even necessarily tied to the Korean language. For instance, BTS, the world’s biggest K-pop group, has increasingly released songs in English like the smash hits “Dynamite” and “Butter.”

Indeed, Lee pointed out, the genre wasn’t even conceived by the South Korean music industry. Rather, it was overseas fans in Asian hubs like Hong Kong and Taiwan who fell in love with “a certain type of Korean popular music … and named it K-pop,” he said.

Blackswan theory

Blackswan are now hoping to capitalize on this global audience – and the diversity of their own members – to offer something fresh and break through the saturated market.

Their varied backgrounds are reflected in the music they produce. “Sometimes in the songs, we mix (Korean) with other languages like English and … a little bit of Spanish,” said Gabi, the Brazilian member.

The music video for their recent single “Karma” was filmed in Sriya’s hometown in the Indian state Odisha, with the members dressed in outfits and jewelry inspired by traditional Indian clothing, and the video featuring shots of temples and dusty motorcycle traffic.

“I’m really grateful and honored,” said Sriya, adding that her family was proud she could represent India on a global platform.

Yoon, the CEO, says they plan to film future music videos in the other members’ home regions of West Africa, Brazil and the US.

Some skeptics, of course, remain.

“As there are no Koreans in the group, I’ve always looked at (Blackswan) with doubts about them being K-pop although they technically are,” said 25-year-old Lee Wool, who attended the Waterbomb festival.

She added that she was a “little worried” that K-pop groups without Korean members would “lead to a skills drain.”

Yoon added that peers in the music industry had “called me crazy,” and advised him to bring in at least one Korean member into the group as it prepared to debut.

But the Blackswan members say most of the criticisms come from international observers, while Korean fans and artists have been largely supportive. And, they say, the whole point of their group is to push boundaries and change perceptions of what K-pop can be.

“There are millions of fans of K-pop, all from different backgrounds, all different colors,” said Fatou. “It’s gonna push them more to be like … She’s Black. She’s Indian. She’s from America. She’s Brazilian. But she still achieved it – so we can do it too.”

Travel is back in full swing this summer, and so is bad behaviour by tourists.

Popular destinations have seen an uptick in incidents involving tourists in recent years. Reports of a man defacing the Colosseum in Rome shows that behavior has deteriorated even in places that rarely had problems in the past.

What’s behind these abhorrent acts? One answer, my research shows, is social media. Instagram and TikTok have made it easy to find “hidden gem” restaurants and discover new destinations to add to your bucket list. But this democratization of travel has had other consequences.

Because people now see their social media connections from their home environment traveling in an exotic location, they assume (consciously or not) that behaviour they ordinarily carry out at home is also acceptable in that vacation destination.

This is known as social proof, when we look to the behaviors of others to inform our own actions. People are likely to act more hedonistically while on vacation. Now, travelers also look to social media for proof of how others behave. If their peers from home are throwing caution to the wind while on vacation, this can cause a domino effect of bad behavior.

I’ve identified other bad travel attitudes and habits that have emerged as a result of social media-driven tourism.

For example, the identifiable victim effect, which explains how people are more likely to sympathize with victims of tragedies when they know who those victims are. Because tourists are often sheltered in hotels and resorts away from local communities, they might (wrongly) think that traveling to a place far from home is an opportunity for consequence-free bad behavior. They underestimate or ignore the effect their actions can have on locals or the economy.

The Instagram effect

When people travel to a beautiful place, the temptation to post photos and videos to social media is high. But, as I have argued, this creates a cycle that contributes to more self-indulgent travel.

First, tourists see their friends post photos from a place (revealed through geotags). They then want to visit the same places and take the same sorts of photos of themselves there. Eventually they post them on the same social networks where they saw the initial photos.

Being able to travel to and post about visiting the same places as one’s social group or online connections can be a form of social status. But it means that, in some cases, travelers will put more energy into creating content than they will to exploration, discovery or being respectful to local customs.

Hotspots respond

Bali is one destination with a reputation for social media-induced tourism. The photogenic island, replete with yoga retreats, is a huge draw for influencers.

In response to tourist misbehavior, Bali introduced new guidelines for visitors in June 2023. These include rules about proper behavior in the sacred temples, around the island and with locals, and respecting the natural environment.

Tourists now need a licence for motorbike rentals, and may not set foot on any mountain or volcano in Bali due to their sacred nature. Travelers must only stay in registered hotels and villas (which will impact a number of Airbnb properties). Bali has introduced a “tourist task force” to enforce the restrictions, through raids and investigations if necessary.

One new guideline is to not act aggressively or use harsh words towards locals, government officials or other tourists both while in Bali, or, notably, online. This speaks to the role of social media as part of the problem when it comes to bad tourist behavior.

Other destinations have taken similar steps. Iceland, Hawaii, Palau, New Zealand, Costa Rica and others have adopted pledges for visitors to abide by local laws and customs. Campaigns like Switzerland’s No Drama, Austria’s See Vienna – not #Vienna, Finland’s Be more like a Finn and the Netherlands’ How to Amsterdam are aimed at attracting well-behaved tourists.

Where such efforts aren’t successful, some places such as Thailand’s famous Maya Bay have taken it further and fully closed to tourists, at least temporarily.

Travel respectfully

Remember you are a guest of the host communities when you travel. Here are some ways to ensure that you will be asked back.

1. Do your research

Even if you’re a seasoned traveler, you may not realize the impact your actions have on local communities. But a bit of information – from your own research or provided by local governments – might be enough to help you act more appropriately. Before you go, look up guidelines or background information on local cultural or safety norms.

Whether you agree with the customs or not is irrelevant. If it is a more conservative place than you are used to, you should be mindful of that – unlike the two influencers who were arrested for explicit behaviour in a temple in Bali.

2. Put down your phone…

Research shows that when travelling, people can become alienated from their surroundings if they are more focused on their devices than the destination.

Often the most memorable travel experiences will be when you have a meaningful connection with someone, or learn something new that you’ve never experienced before. That becomes harder if you’re constantly looking at your phone.

3. …or use your influence for good

In popular “Instagram v reality” posts, influencers are revealing the huge crowds and queues behind the most Instagrammable locations.

Showing the less-than-glamorous conditions behind those iconic shots could influence your own social media connections to rethink their personal travel motivations – are they just going somewhere to get the perfect selfie? Having more evidence of these conditions circulating online could lead to a larger societal shift away from social media-induced tourism.

If you have the urge to post, try to promote smaller businesses and make sure you are demonstrating proper (and legal) etiquette on your vacation.

Lauren A. Siegel is a lecturer at the University of Greenwich in London.