Idalia strengthens as Florida braces for ‘deadly’ hurricane

Hurricane Idalia intensified Tuesday as it churned toward the west coast of Florida, triggering mass evacuation orders and flood alerts as authorities warned of life-threatening ocean surge and catastrophic destruction when the storm rages ashore early Wednesday.The storm is forecast to dump up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in parts of the Florida Panhandle, potentially triggering flash and urban flooding, and tornadoes were also possible along Florida's west central coast through Tuesda