Interstate 10 reopens in Florida after crews remove trees debris left in Hurricane Idalia's path
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on Thursday said it had reopened the majority of all state-owned roads and bridges following Hurricane Idalia, including Interstate 10 (I-10) in Madison County, and State Road (S.R.) 24, which leads to Cedar Key.
Idalia made landfall Wednesday in the Keaton Beach area of rural Taylor County before moving through other sparsely populated areas of North Florida. After moving through North Florida, Idalia went into Georgia and South Carolina.
A roughly 15-mile stretch of I-10 in Madison County was significantly littered with debris and an estimated 10,000 downed trees of varying sizes, FDOT said.
"FDOT deployed 27 four-person crews once the winds subsided to cut and toss and remove debris from the travel lanes," the agency said in a statement sent to FOX 35 News.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has reopened the majority of all state-owned roads and bridges following Hurricane Idalia, including Interstate 10 (I-10) in Madison County, and State Road (S.R.) 24, which leads to Cedar Key. [Credit: FDOT
The teams were able to clear all travel lanes and reopen I-10 by 7 p.m. on Wednesday, FDOT said, within 12 hours of beginning operations. All state-owned bridges have been inspected and cleared for travel. The bridge to Cedar Key on S.R. 24 was completely submerged following Idalia’s landfall.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has reopened the majority of all state-owned roads and bridges following Hurricane Idalia, including Interstate 10 (I-10) in Madison County, and State Road (S.R.) 24, which leads to Cedar Key. [Credit: FDOT
President Joe Biden on Thursday approved a federal disaster declaration to help state and local recovery efforts after Category 3 Hurricane Idalia slammed into North Florida’s Big Bend region and caused widespread damage.
The disaster declaration will make federal money available for people affected by the storm in Citrus, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Suwannee, and Taylor counties.
Also, money will be available to help with debris removal and emergency-protective measures in the designated counties. The federal government will pick up 100 percent of such costs for a 30-day period "of the state's choosing," the White House said.