Yesterday, Florida turned its eyes to Southern California for advice on how to prepare for a powerful hurricane named Franklin that had formed in the Atlantic. Should they be scared? Board up their windows? Horde? Think about possibly surfing? Great advice poured in from the Golden State, which survived its own hurricane just last week.
Today, an even greater force is whipping up in the gulf and promising to send monster waves toward the “Redneck Riviera” and neighboring Alabama turning the usually docile shore into that place of broken skulls.
A Confederate Teahupo’o.
The storm, which is quickly strengthening off of Cuba and tracking directly toward Horseshoe Beach, is fierce.
“This is going to be a major impact,” Florida’s governor Ron DeSanctimonius stated in a quickly-organized press conference. “You need to be executing your plan now. This storm is expected to hit sometime early Wednesday.”
Along with windy wind and rainy rain, though, an expected wild storm surge will create monster waves.
“Storm surge can be life threatening at just two to three feet,” Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie told CNN. “Some of these areas are going to experience storm surge well over seven foot. Storm surge is often the greatest threat to life and property from a hurricane. It happens quickly and can endanger you, your family and your home.”
Surfline, ignoring panic, is calling Pensacola a good bet on Wednesday, claiming potential 10-foot waves.
“Good confidence on Idalia now and expecting a solid shot of SSE swell for the region with N winds setting up good conditions. This is the day so would get wet. Surf peaking AM hours with smaller swell/surf toward end of the day.”
Do you think Kelly Slater might swing in for a rare session, mixing it up with locals in his home state, maybe even politely declining to drop in?
What about current world surfing champion Filipe Toledo?
That was a trick question.
The post “Redneck Riviera” surfers let out rebel yell as new hurricane Idalia promises to turn gulf stretch into “Confederate Teahupo’o!” appeared first on BeachGrit.
