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VERO BEACH, Fla. − Tropical Storm Idalia was intensifying Monday and threatened to slam across Florida's Gulf Coast sometime Wednesday as a major hurricane with "life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds," the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm was forecast to reach hurricane strength later Monday, hurricane center forecaster Eric Blake wrote in a morning advisory

Hurricane watches were in effect along almost 400 miles of the Florida Coast, from Indian Pass, near Panama City on Florida's Panhandle, to Englewood, 50 miles north of Fort Myers. A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm or higher on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind speed scale. A storm becomes a Category 3 hurricane when when maximum wind speeds reach at least 111 mph.

"Hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area ... within the next12-24 hours," Blake said. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has declared a state of emergency for half the state's counties, warned that trees will come down and power outages are "just going to happen." The state mobilized 1,100 National Guard members with 2,400 high water vehicles and 12 aircraft to prepare for rescues, he said. The state's emergency operations center in Tallahassee shifted into around-the-clock operations Monday morning.

"These things can wobble, so Floridians along our Gulf Coast should be vigilant, even if you are currently outside" the likely track of the storm, he said.

Spaghetti models:See latest satellite images, spaghetti models for Idalia

Idalia has 'infernal potential':Storm takes aim at Florida, forecaster warns

Developments:

∎ Early Monday the storm's center was located 90 miles south of the western tip of Cuba.

∎ Idalia was moving toward north at 7 mph with sustained winds of 65 mph.

∎ The storm's center was forecast to crash over or near western Cuba on Monday night and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Tuesday. Idalia was forecast speed up and turn north-northeastward as it roars toward Florida.

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Follow the path of Hurricane Idalia

Damaging winds, up to 18 inches of rain

"Major, life-threatening flooding" was possible, with 4 to 8 inches of rain possible from northern Florida through the Southeast − and some areas could see up to 18 inches of rain, AccuWeather said. AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said damaging winds of 40 to 60 mph can be expected across Florida and parts of the Southeast in coming days

Closest to where the tropical system makes landfall, however, wind gusts of up to 120 to 140 mph can occur," he said.

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Contaminated gas complicates storm preparations

Drivers along Florida's Gulf Coast were told they could have purchased gas contaminated with diesel fuel over the weekend as residents in the area prepared for Idalia to make landfall. Florida officials warned Sunday that any fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday at stations supplied by Citgo from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of being contaminated with diesel fuel.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services stated that contaminated gasoline and diesel have the potential of causing engine damage or affecting operability.

− Sarasota Herald-Tribune staff

Idalia will also target Georgia, Carolinas, Virginia

Georgia, South and North Carolina and Virginia will be the next targets as Idalia sweeps over Florida, forecasters say. Up to 8 inches and wind gusts of more than 40 mph are likely through eastern Georgia and the Carolinas and possibly Virginia later in the week and approaching Labor Day weekend.

"By late week, the storm can turn toward the east and re-emerge over the Atlantic Ocean," Buckingham said. "At this point, little re-intensification can be expected, and the system will be moving away from the East Coast toward Bermuda."

Hurricane Franklin is season's first 'major' hurricane

Hurricane Franklin was rapidly intensifying early Monday and reached Category 4 strength with maximum sustained winds estimated at 145 mph. The first "major" hurricane of the season, the storm was centered more than 400 miles north of Grand Turk Island and moving north-northwest at 8 mph. Later this week Franklin will hit Bermuda, AccuWeather said. Franklin is also expected to have an impact on the U.S. East Coast, where "rough surf and rip currents could imperil swimmers as summer winds down," AccuWeather warned.

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