See Hurricane Idalia from SPACE: NASA shares terrifying footage exhibiting the storm from the Worldwide House Station

Hurricane Idalia crashed into Florida yesterday, lashing the coast with torrential rain, pounding surf and howling winds of as much as 125mph (200km/h).

The highly effective storm then barrelled by means of low-lying cities on the state’s west coast, earlier than weakening because it made its method inland and into the state of Georgia.

Whereas this drama was unfolding, the enormity and sheer scale of what was billed as an ‘unprecedented occasion’ was captured from above by the International Space Station (ISS) in scary element.

It showcases the all-encompassing dimension of Idalia and divulges an enchanting view of the attention of the storm because the area station flew 260 miles overhead.

NASA shared the footage on its YouTube channel and mentioned it was filmed simply two hours after the hurricane hit Florida’s Gulf Coast at 08:00 ET (13:00 BST) on Wednesday. 

Monumental: The enormity and sheer scale of Hurricane Idalia, which crashed into Florida’s Gulf Coast early on Wednesday, was captured from above by the Worldwide House Station

The US area company additionally streamed the second reside on NASA TV.  

‘Exterior cameras on the Worldwide House Station captured views of Hurricane Idalia at 10:35 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023, because the station flew 260 miles overhead,’ it mentioned in a proof of the footage on YouTube.

‘Idalia made landfall simply earlier than 8 a.m. close to Keaton Seashore, Florida, alongside the state’s Large Bend area as a Class 3 storm packing winds of 125 miles an hour.’ 

NASA has beforehand mentioned that Earth-observing satellites such because the ISS have a singular view of storms, and that footage like this may assist scientists higher perceive hurricanes and help preparation and catastrophe response. 

It has additionally shared related views of highly effective storms similar to Hurricane Ida in 2021 and Hurricane Michael in 2018, whereas astronauts usually chip in with photos on X (previously often called Twitter). 

Idalia has proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm for elements of Florida – breaking information because it tore throughout the state – however there’s a sense that it may have introduced a lot worse destruction.

It had been billed as an ‘an unprecedented occasion’ by the Nationwide Hurricane Heart and sparked uncommon excessive wind warnings.

Though the general harm continues to be being assessed, it’s clear Idalia was far much less damaging and deadly than Hurricane Ian, which brought about 150 deaths and $112 billion (£85 billion) in harm when it struck Florida in September 2022.  

That being mentioned, with most winds of 125 mph, Idalia nonetheless ended up being the strongest to hit Florida’s Large Bend area in additional than 125 years.

Its storm surge was additionally record-breaking from Tampa to the Large Bend.

Thought-about essentially the most hazardous menace posed by the hurricane, this surge of storm-driven seawater rushed inland for miles, flooding low-lying communities and roadways in its path.

However Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mentioned hours later that no deaths had been reported from the storm surge.  

Horrifying: NASA shared the footage on its YouTube channel and mentioned it was filmed simply two hours after the hurricane hit Florida’s Gulf Coast at 08:00 ET (13:00 BST) on Wednesday

Route of journey: The highly effective storm then barrelled by means of low-lying cities on the state’s west coast, earlier than weakening because it made its method inland and into the state of Georgia 

View from area: Whereas this drama was unfolding, the ‘unprecedented occasion’ was captured from above by the Worldwide House Station in scary element

NASA’s footage showcases the all-encompassing dimension of Idalia and divulges an enchanting view of the attention of the storm because the area station flew 260 miles overhead 

Florida Freeway Patrol did report that two males had died in automotive crashes attributable to wet situations, nonetheless.

The clean-up operation is now underneath method however as of Wednesday evening greater than 225,000 folks had been nonetheless with out energy in Florida.  

One other 230,000 had been at midnight in Georgia. 

As predicted, the brunt of the storm was borne within the coronary heart of Florida’s largely rural Large Bend area, the place the state’s northern Gulf Coast panhandle curves into the western aspect of the Florida Peninsula.

The realm is roughly bounded by the cities of Gainesville and Tallahassee, the state capital.

The identical area, that includes a marshy coast and threaded with freshwater springs and rivers, was devastated by a serious hurricane in 1896.

However extreme impacts of Idalia weren’t confined to the Large Bend.

Idalia has proved to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm for elements of Florida – breaking information because it tore throughout the state – however there’s a sense that it may have introduced a lot worse destruction Jewell Baggett, 51, sits on a bath amid the wreckage of the house constructed by her grandfather

Pictured is the wreckage of a gasoline station close to Perry, Florida, after the arrival of Hurricane Idalia

As predicted, the brunt of the storm was borne within the coronary heart of Florida’s largely rural Large Bend area, the place the state’s northern Gulf Coast panhandle curves into the western aspect of the Florida Peninsula 

In Hillsborough County, an space of 1.5 million folks effectively to the south that features Tampa, crews had been coping with widespread harm and flooded streets, officers mentioned in a information briefing. 

Idalia reached hurricane energy on Tuesday and attained Class 4 depth on the five-step Saffir-Simpson wind scale early Wednesday earlier than landfall, however by 07:00 ET (12:00 BST) had weakened into Class 3, in response to the Nationwide Hurricane Heart.

Because it entered southeastern Georgia, Idalia’s wind speeds had been right down to 90 mph, lowering the tempest to Class 1. 

By 17:00 ET (22:00 BST), officers mentioned it had weakened additional right into a tropical storm.

Idalia is now anticipated to float alongside the South Carolina coast by means of a lot of Thursday earlier than curling eastward off North Carolina and out into the Atlantic by this night.

EXPLAINED: THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SITS 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH

The Worldwide House Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

It has been completely staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000. 

Crews have come primarily from the US and Russia, however the Japanese area company JAXA and European area company ESA have additionally despatched astronauts. 

The Worldwide House Station has been repeatedly occupied for greater than 20 years and has been expended with a number of new modules added and upgrades to techniques 

Analysis carried out aboard the ISS usually requires a number of of the bizarre situations current in low Earth orbit, similar to low-gravity or oxygen.

ISS research have investigated human analysis, area drugs, life sciences, bodily sciences, astronomy and meteorology.

The US area company, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a 12 months on the area station program, with the remaining funding coming from worldwide companions, together with Europe, Russia and Japan.

Thus far 244 people from 19 nations have visited the station, and amongst them eight non-public residents who spent as much as $50 million for his or her go to.

There’s an ongoing debate about the way forward for the station past 2025, when it’s thought a number of the unique construction will attain ‘finish of life’.

Russia, a serious accomplice within the station, plans to launch its personal orbital platform round then, with Axiom House, a non-public agency, planning to ship its personal modules for purely industrial use to the station on the similar time. 

NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian House Company (CSA) are working collectively to construct an area station in orbit across the moon, and Russia and China are engaged on an identical undertaking, that may additionally embody a base on the floor.