The moment a pilot captured St. Elmo’s Fire from his cockpit
A video filmed by pilots at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida captured a lightning-like weather phenomenon called St. Elmo’s fire. According to the Wall Street Journal, the base was evacuated as Hurricane Idalia moved toward the state. The video was shot on August 28.
The air force base said on X, formerly Twitter, “During the evacuation, the 50th ARS absorbed St. Elmo’s fire, a weather phenomenon where luminescent plasma is created in an atmospheric electric field.”
Watch the video here:
All aircraft on the installation have been evacuated/secured in preparation #hurricaneIdalia . During the evacuation, the 50th ARS recorded St. Elmo’s fire, a weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created in an atmospheric electric field. pic.twitter.com/tqUGhfm8iN
— MacDill AFB (@MacDill_AFB) August 29, 2023
Hurricane Idalia is expected to become an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm when it makes landfall early Wednesday (US time), according to the National Hurricane Center’s updated advisory.
The agency said Idalia is expected to inundate parts of Florida’s Big Bend region with a “catastrophic” storm surge 10 to 15 feet high — taller than an average city bus. “There is potential for destructive, life-threatening winds where Idalia’s core makes landfall in the Big Bend region,” the hurricane center said.
In its advisory, the National Hurricane Center said: “Catastrophic flooding impacts from storm surges 12 to 16 feet above ground level and destructive waves are expected somewhere between the Wakulla/Jefferson County line and Yankeetown, Florida. Life-threatening flooding from storm surges is likely elsewhere along parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast where a storm surge warning is in effect. Residents in these areas should heed any advice from local officials.”
“There is potential for destructive, life-threatening winds where the core of Idalia moves ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region, while hurricane conditions are expected elsewhere in parts of the hurricane warning area along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Strong winds will also spread inland in parts of northern Florida and southern Georgia near the track of central Idalia, where hurricane warnings are in effect. Residents in these areas should be prepared for extended power outages. Damaging hurricane-force winds are possible in parts of eastern Georgia and southeastern South Carolina, where Hurricane Watches are in effect,” it added.
The Center also said flash, urban and moderate river flooding, with significant local impacts, is expected in the Florida Big Bend, central Georgia and South Carolina through eastern North Carolina through Thursday.
