2 Killed in Weather-Related Crashes Minutes Apart amid Hurricane Idalia, Florida Highway Patrol Says

Flooding in Tampa after Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida on Wednesday.Photo:MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty

MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty

Two men died on Wednesday morning asHurricane Idaliastruck Florida.

Florida Highway Patrol said both victims were killed in separate car crashes as the powerful storm brought torrential rain and strong wind gusts to Florida.

Both were pronounced dead at the scene and have yet to be publicly identified.

The Florida Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Makatla Ritchter (L) and her mother, Keiphra Line, wade through flood waters.Joe Raedle/Getty

Joe Raedle/Getty

Idalia, currently a Category 1 hurricane, left a trial of destruction as it came ashore near Keaton Beach as a Category 3 storm with wind speeds upwards of 125 mph and a storm surge upwards of 16 ft.

It’s the strongest storm that has made landfall in the Big Bend region in more than 125 years, according toCNN.

“This storm moved a little bit faster than some of the other ones have moved,” DeSantis added. “Some of these things will just dump water and they go so slow, this one moved a little bit faster. Which is, at least when you’re talking about the flooding, is a little bit better."

During the briefing, DeSantis said that the two weather-related traffic deaths still had to be reviewed. “There’s a process for confirmed fatalities," he said, per NBC News. “It just goes through law enforcement and medical examiners. That has not been done yet.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 275,000 Florida residents are without power, according to websitepoweroutage.us.

A flooded street is seen near the Steinhatchee marina.CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

The National Hurricane Centersaidthat the storm is expected to bring “damaging hurricane-force winds” as it continues to move towards southern Georgia and South Carolina this evening.

“Strong winds are also expected to spread northeastward across South Carolina and North Carolina through Thursday within the Tropical Storm Warning area,” the NHC added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

As far as rain, the center said “areas of flash, urban, and moderate river flooding, with considerable impacts, are expected from portions of North Florida through central Georgia and South Carolina, through eastern North Carolina into Thursday.”

Notably, Idalia is impacting some of the same areas that faced the deadly wrath ofHurricane Ianlast September.

Mallie Critser, who previously told PEOPLE that Ianwashed away her home in Fort Myers Beach, says she had six inches of water in her house as of Wednesday morning.

source: people.com