This Video Does Not Show The Landfall Of Hurricane Idalia
The Claim
This video shows a landfall because of Hurricane Idalia.
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Emerging story
Following the circulating fears of Hurricane Idaila, a video is being widely shared by social media users alleging that Hurricane Idalia has officially started.
The video shows a storm at Florida’s beach, causing chaos and screams among beachgoers.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulated claim and found it to be misleading. This clip predates Hurricane Idalia.
Upon a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the clip to be filmed and posted on June 19. It features Clearwater Beach in Florida.
Moreover, the clip was posted before the landfall of Hurricane Idalia. Hurricane Idalia made landfall on August 30 at around 7:45 a.m. ET. Meanwhile, the clip emerged around August 29, a day before Hurricane Idalia started.
This is a Waterspout, Not A Hurricane
On Friday, June 16, at Florida's Clearwater Beach, a waterspout formed around 4 p.m. A waterspout, as shown in the video, is a columnar vortex formed over the water.
The DailyMail published an article on June 19, confirming that this video is for a waterspout at Florida’s beach.
The waterspout was described as a tornadic and terrifying moment as it whipped up cabanas and chairs and injured two people, a 70-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man, after getting struck by flying debris.
Idalia Hurricane Expected To Become A Major Hurricane
As the hurricane started on Wednesday morning, experts measured the intensity of the hurricane. The estimated minimum central pressure is 981 mb. The storm was at first a Category 3 hurricane, then it weakened to a Category 2 storm at around 10 am. A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4, or 5 storm or higher.
At the start of the hurricane, water levels along the coast of Florida’s Big Bend were rising rapidly. The levels were indicated to have reached 6.8 feet. It was forecasted to reach up to 16 feet in some areas of the region. This phenomenon could happen before, during, or after any strong storm. It is considered the greatest threat during a hurricane.
The Big Bend area has witnessed an intense storm. According to Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, "In this part of Florida, particularly the Big Bend coast, we haven't seen a hurricane landfall of this intensity in many, many, many years.”
However, according to the last report of NBC, the hurricane is now Category 1, after reaching Category 4 overnight.
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