US: Hurricane Idalia barrels into Georgia after hitting Florida coast, leaving at least two dead

Hurricane Idalia barreled into southern Georgia after hitting Florida’s Gulf Coast with life-threatening storm surges, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power. More than 275,000 people in Florida were without power as of late afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US. At least two people died in weather-related car crashes in Alachua and Pasco counties, police said. About 190,000 people were without power in Georgia. At least 30 of Florida’s 67 counties issued some type of evacuation order prior to the storm. People who did not evacuate should shelter in place, according to the state’s emergency management agency. American Airlines has suspended operations in Tampa; Sarasota; Tallahassee; Gainesville; and Savannah, Georgia, with 167 flights canceled so far. The airline is planning to continue normal operations in Ft. Myers, Key West, Orlando and Daytona Beach. DeSantis said the Tampa airport will reopen at 4 p.m. Wednesday to incoming flights and fully reopen at 3 a.m. Thursday. Gainesville airport will reopen Wednesday night and Tallahassee airport first thing in the morning, the governor said.<br/>