Hurricane Idalia is currently a Category 2 hurricane and is poised to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida as a Cat 3 on Wednesday morning. NOAA is reporting that Idalia is bringing life-threatening storm surge of 10 to 15 feet and Cat 3 hurricane conditions to Big Bend (where the Panhandle transitions to the Peninsula) before penetrating southern Georgia and moving into the Carolinas.
Here are national news coverage plans for Hurricane Idalia. (Note: This post will be updated as we receive more info.)
The Weather Channel:
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- Hurricane Idalia strengthened to a category 2 hurricane late Tuesday afternoon. Further intensification is expected and Idalia could be a major hurricane at landfall on Wednesday.
- We have live teams deployed to Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
- Viewers can receive real-time updates by tuning into The Weather Channel television network, The Weather Channel streaming app (available on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Samsung, Vizio, and Xfinity Flex.), the Audacy app, and SiriusXM channels 134 and 512.
- Viewers can receive real-time updates in Spanish by tuning into The Weather Channel en Español available on The Weather Channel streaming app and Allen Media Group’s Local Now, Sports.TV and theGrio. TWCE is also available on Roku Channel, YouTube TV, Hulu+LIVE TV, Redbox, Verizon Fios, FuboTV, Xumo Play, Plex, FreeCast, Canela.TV, and the Audacy app.
Fox Weather:
- Fox News’ ad-supported streaming weather service Fox Weather will simulcast its hurricane coverage on Fox News Channel overnight from midnight – 5 a.m. ET.
- Fox Weather will have meteorologists, correspondents and multimedia journalists on location throughout Florida to cover the storm. Additionally, renowned hurricane specialist Bryan Norcross will contribute to Fox Weather’s coverage throughout the duration of the storm.
- Meteorologist Britta Merwin will co-anchor Fox Weather First (weekdays 6-9 a.m. ET) from Tampa Bay, Fla., alongside meteorologist Jason Frazer who will be at Fox Weather headquarters in New York beginning Tuesday.
- Additionally, meteorologist Bob Van Dillen will be reporting live from St. Petersburg, Fla. Correspondent Nicole Valdes will report from Tampa Bay. Multimedia journalist Brandy Campbell will report from Tallahassee, Fla.
CNN:
- As Hurricane Idalia nears the coast of Florida, CNN muscled its resources to report the latest information for the audience. Reporting on scene are Sara Sidner, John Berman, Bill Weir, Derek Van Dam, Carlos Suarez, Brian Todd, Dianne Gallagher, Ryan Young, Ivan Rodriguez, Gloria Pazmino, and Ana Maria Mejia.
- Patrick Oppmann is reporting from Cuba.
- Chad Myers and Allison Chinchar contribute from the Weather Center in Atlanta.
- Continuous live updates on CNN.com can be found here.
- CNN has created a lite version of their main homepage in both English and Spanish designed specifically for people with weak cell phone connections so they can keep up with the latest storm tracker and related news. It can be bookmarked at lite.cnn.com
NBC News/MSNBC:
- At 7 p.m. ET, NBC News Now anchor Tom Llamas will anchor Top Story with Tom Llamas live from the Gulf Coast as Florida prepares for Hurricane Idalia.
- Llamas will also anchor Top Story from the Gulf Coast tomorrow and will report across NBC Nightly News and Today over the coming days.
Tom Llamas with Crystal Lake, Fla., mayor
- On MSNBC, José Díaz-Balart will anchor special coverage on the ground in Florida.
- NBC News correspondents Priscilla Thompson, Marissa Parra, Guad Venegas, Kathy Park will also report on the ground, covering Hurricane Idalia across all NBC News and MSNBC platforms.
- NBC News Digital reporters Minyvonne Burke and Daniella Silva are reporting on-the-ground for NBCNews.com, as well as the site’s 24/7 live blog of the latest breaking news.
ABC News:
- Chief meteorologist Ginger Zee (Pinellas County), senior meteorologist Rob Marciano (Savannah, Ga.) and correspondents Mireya Villarreal (Gainesville), Victor Oquendo (Tallahassee) and Alex Presha (Charleston, S.C.) will be reporting across programs and platforms on Hurricane Idalia.
- ABC News Live, the network’s 24-hour streaming news channel, will have extensive coverage, providing live updates and any press conferences from state and local officials, as well as reporting from ABC News correspondents and reporters on the ground in Florida.
- ABC Audio’s daily news podcast Start Here will lead Wednesday’s show with a conversation with Ginger Zee in Florida.
- ABC News Radio will provide live coverage as events warrant, with ABC News correspondent Jim Ryan reporting from Tampa on the preparation and evacuations for network newscasts and affiliates.
- ABC News Digital will have live updates, available on ABCNews.com and the ABC News app.
- ABC NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, will provide full coverage from the storm zone with multiplatform reporters Ike Ejiochi and Em Nguyen reporting from Tampa. NewsOne provides news content and services for more than 200 ABC affiliates and international news partners.
Ginger Zee
NewsNation:
- NewsNation will present continuous special coverage of Hurricane Idalia as it continues to strengthen and move into the Gulf Coast later today, Tuesday, Aug. 29 and tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 30 when it is forecast to make landfall.
- On the ground reporting will be provided by NewsNation correspondents across the affected areas of Florida, including Xavier Walton and Ryan Bass from Tampa and Stephanie Haines from Tallahassee.
- On Wednesday, additional reporters will be dispatched across the neighboring regions, including Robert Sherman live from Charleston, S.C. NewsNation meteorologist Ben Dobson and meteorologist Brian James will be tracking the storm and offering live updates throughout the week.
- Additionally, special guests will include the Director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center Michael Brennan, Lt. Gov. of Florida Jeanette Nunez, and Rob Herrin of the Hillsborough County Fire Department.
CBS News:
- CBS News and Stations will be covering the path of Hurricane Idalia with a team of correspondents on the ground contributing coordinated local-to-global coverage for various broadcasts and platforms.
- CBS News’ David Begnaud and Omar Villafranca, CBS Newspath’s Cristian Benavides, WFOR Miami’s Larry Seward and Anna McAllister, and KTVT Dallas-Fort Worth’s Jason Allen will report from Florida; while CBS News’ Manuel Bojorquez will be in South Carolina, and CBS Newspath’s Jarred Hill will originate from North Carolina.
- The CBS News Streaming Network will have continuous coverage beginning at 7:00 AM, ET.
- CBS Mornings and the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell will have the latest on the hurricane’s path along with forecasts and analysis from our partners at The Weather Channel.
- CBS News will carry the moment of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall as a special report live across the CBS Television Network and the CBS News Streaming Network.