Hurricane Idalia struck Florida's west coast in the predawn hours of Wednesday with forecasts of potentially devastating winds reaching up to 130 mph. Yet, in a timely twist of fate, Idalia's eyewall underwent what's called replacement, averting the worst of the anticipated destruction.
Eyewalls can intensify greatly, contracting into tight circles of devastating winds. Sometimes, during this cycle, a new eyewall can emerge outside the inner eyewall, effectively cutting off the intensity of the inner core — eventually choking the life out of it, according to Fox Weather.
The birth of a second eyewall, characterized by a larger radius and diminished intensity, reduces the fury of a storm.
At times, the eyewall emerges stronger than before the replacement.
But not with Idalia. The new wall had no time to strengthen. While Hurricane Idalia inflicted considerable damage and claimed at least two lives, experts say it could have been much worse.
"Like a figure skater pulling in her arms versus holding her arms out, the hurricane spins with a lot more energy, power, and ferocity when it has a tighter eye," said Ryan Maue, a meteorologist and former chief scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), reported the Daily Mail.
As it was, Idalia struck large swaths of Florida before setting its sights on Georgia and the Carolinas. Huge storm surges wreaked havoc.
Recovery costs could potentially reach into the billions, according to the Daily Mail.