Ian battles a Category 4 storm approaching Florida: Intensifying into a Category 4 hurricane as it neared Florida, Hurricane Ian expect to land on Wednesday afternoon with maximum winds of 220 kph.
The state’s densely populated Gulf Coast was already experiencing tropical storm-force winds and rain, with the Naples to Sarasota area being at “highest danger” of a deadly storm surge.
After slamming Cuba, Ian strengthened over the warm Gulf of Mexico, crashing the nation’s energy infrastructure and leaving the whole island powerless, according to U.S. Air Force hurricane hunters.
The U.S. National Storm Center in Miami warned that the hurricane might bring up to 12 feet of ocean water onshore in Florida and urged residents to leave the area as soon as possible.
Even though more than 2.5 million individuals were subject to mandatory evacuation orders, nobody could compel them to leave.
At 6 a.m., Ian was spinning toward the shore at a speed of 17 kph and centered approximately 100 kilometers to the west-southwest of Naples.
Residents of Florida hurried to board up their houses before the hit, store valuables on higher stories, and evacuate.
Natural catastrophes are unavoidable, according to Vinod Nair. So on Tuesday, he went inland from the Tampa region, searching for a hotel in Orlando’s tourism area with his wife, son, dog, and two kittens.
“We decided it would be better to leave since we reside in a high-danger area.”
According to the hurricane center, Ian was expected to make landfall Wednesday afternoon. However, according to the Miami-based center, hurricane-force winds anticipate in Florida long before the eyewall moved onshore.
Gusts reached Florida, topping the tropical storm intensity of 63 kph by 3 a.m.
Near the region of landfall, rainfall amounts might reach 46 cm.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated in Sarasota, a coastal city with a population of 57,000, which is in the hurricane’s forecast course. “It is a large storm, and it is going to throw up a lot of water as it comes in.” “This is the type of life-threatening storm surge.”
Over the Gulf, Ian’s forward motion slowed, allowing the storm to expand and intensify.
About 350 kilometers of the state were under a hurricane warning.
A big storm may directly impact Tampa and St. Petersburg, which would be the first since 1921.
Gil Gonzalez was being cautious. To prevent flooding, he used plywood to board the windows of his Tampa house and set up sandbags. Before fleeing, he and his wife loaded their vehicle with bottled water, torches, mobile battery packs, and a camp stove.
We have stored all of our precious items upstairs at a friend’s home, “explained Gonzalez.
Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Key West airports close. In addition, theme parks at Disney World and Sea World in Orlando were all completed before the storm.
A vacationing English couple in Tampa force to spend the stormy night at a shelter.
When evacuations were ordered, Glyn and Christine Williams of London instructed to vacate their hotel close to the beach. However, they had no way to travel home since the airport had closed.
Christine Williams added, “Unfortunately, all the hotels fill or closed. So it seems like we will be in one of the shelters.
Her spouse believed everything would work out. But, Glyn Williams said, “You know, you’ve got to go with the flow.”
“Therefore, we’re content with what we’re doing.
Although the exact position of landfall was still unknown, the devastation anticipate over much of Florida due to Ian’s tropical storm-force winds, which extended 280 kilometers from its center.
Flash floods were a possibility all around the state, and when Ian’s bands moved closer to the Atlantic Ocean, some of the state’s east coast would see storm surges. There also scatter tornado warnings.
Those in Ian’s path advise by Florida Power and Light to prepare for days without energy.
Several nursing facilities in the Tampa region were evacuating hundreds of residents as a precaution, and hospitals relocated some patients.
Flooding rains and some coastal surges are also possible on Saturday in some regions of Georgia and South Carolina. Brian Kemp, the governor of Georgia, proactively declared an emergency and put 500 National Guard soldiers on alert to assist if required.
Ian made landfall in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio Province with sustained winds of 205 kph, wreaking havoc in the country’s renowned tobacco region before heading toward Florida.
No fatalities were recorded.
The primary hospital in Pinar del Rio city sustained significant damage. According to local government station TelePinar, which tweeted images of collapsing ceilings, widely dispersed debris, and downed trees.
Some people were evacuated by bus through flooded streets, while others walked out with their children. Some others choose to remain in their destroyed homes.
Yumi Palacios, a Pinar del Rio resident, stated inside her destroyed home, “It was horrific.”
But now that we’re still alive, all I want from the Cuban Revolution is assistance with the roof and the bed.