Idalia, now a hurricane, nears Florida as residents scramble to prepare or evacuate

Municipal workers help residents with sandbags in Tampa, Fla., in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia’s arrival. Idalia became a hurricane Tuesday as the storm intensified on a path toward Florida’s Gulf Coast, with the National Hurricane Center warning of an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds in Florida in the next two days. Residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas. “You should be wrapping up your preparation for #TropicalStormIdalia tonight and Tues morning at the latest,” the National Weather Service in...