Hurricane Ian path hits Florida as hurricane strengthens: Live updates
Hurricane Ian was quick boost Monday as the major storm made landfall in Cuba and Florida, leading to a series of hurricane and storm surge warnings in Florida and the first evacuations along the west coast of the state.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Ian was about 500 miles wide and expected more evacuations when Ian came closer to your status. The storm’s winds could extend up to 35 miles and tropical storm winds for up to 115 miles, the storm center said.
“Aquarium systems up and down the Gulf Coast should feel the impact of this,” DeSantis said Monday at the Operations Center, DeSantis said Monday at the state’s Emergency Operations Center. State emergency.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm was about 155 miles southeast of Cuba as of 5 p.m. Monday, moving north-northwest at 13 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, making it a Category 2 hurricane.
Tampa Bay was issued a hurricane warning at 5 p.m. ET. A high tide warning is also in effect for much of the southwest coast of Florida.
On Monday, Tampa and St.
Ian is forecast to strengthen rapidly into a major hurricane, Category 3 or larger, late Monday at the earliest, AccuWeather said. The storm could eventually reach Category 4 status, which means sustained winds of 130 mph to 156 mph.
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Where is Ian going?
Ian is forecast to emerge southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, pass west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday, and approach Florida’s west coast Wednesday through Thursday. The storm is forecast to slow down during this time, the National Hurricane Center warned in a statement.
“This will likely prolong storm surge, wind and rain effects along the affected portions of Florida’s west coast,” the advisor said, adding that “parallel shorelines still cause It is difficult to pinpoint exactly which sites will experience the most severe impacts.”
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Tampa Bay prepares for Ian
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said she and local officials in the area fear “a near worst-case scenario” following the National Hurricane Center’s latest report forecasting what Ian could bring. a storm surge of up to 10 feet.
“We can handle the wind if it passes quickly, but… we’re saturated in the Tampa Bay area,” Castor told CNN. “And we have a special geographical situation with very shallow bays.”
“It’s a near-worst situation for our region,” she said.
Hillsborough County ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents living in coastal areas, and those in manufactured homes and trailers, at 2 p.m. Monday, a decision affecting estimates count 300,000 inhabitants.
Cuba could see 14 feet of storm surge
Authorities in Cuba suspended classes in Pinar del Rio province, dispatched medical and emergency personnel, planned to evacuate 20 communities “in the shortest time possible” and took steps to protect food and other crops in storage, according to state media. Forecasters predict areas on Cuba’s west coast could experience storm surges of up to 14 feet on Monday night or early Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center said in an advisory: “Hurricane conditions are expected to be within the warning zone over Cuba this evening, with tropical storm conditions expected later in the afternoon. tonight”. “There could be destructive winds as Ian’s core moves over western Cuba.”
Landing in Florida may be midweek
Florida’s north-central coast to nearly all of North Florida is within the five-day Ian forecast cone. AccuWeather said the possibility of landfall increasing in Florida midweek. Several evacuations were ordered Monday in the coastal Hillsborough County, Tampa’s hometown. The county suspended classes through Thursday to prepare schools as shelters for evacuees.
“Take this storm seriously. That’s the real deal. This is not a drill,” Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Timothy Dudley said Monday in Tampa.
Ian is expected to miss most of the mountainous terrain, which frequently disrupts Cuba’s tropical systems, making the storm a Category 4 hurricane. What happens next will depend largely on track that Ian does, according to AccuWeather. A southerly dip in the jet stream across the US will help pull the storm north and into the coast.
“How quickly this interaction happens will determine how strong Ian’s trail is, as well as how strong the system is once it reaches land,” AccuWeather said.
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Mandatory evacuations begin as Florida prepares for hurricane
DeSantis, who declared a statewide emergency, said an additional 2,500 members of the Florida National Guard were called to duty, bringing the total to 5,000. Another two thousand were sent to Florida from neighboring states. The state is working to load 360 trailers with more than 2 million meals and more than 1 million gallons of water in preparation for distribution. DeSantis said Urban Search and Rescue Teams are ready to mobilize where needed.
“There will be a power disruption, so plan for that,” DeSantis said. “The impacts will be far and wide.
‘What is Rapid Boost?’
“Quick Boost” is a process in which a hurricane experiences a faster growth rate: The phenomenon is generally defined as a tropical cyclone (whether tropical storm or hurricane) that strengthens at least 35 mph during within 24 hours. Ian is expected to fit this definition. The storm’s winds are forecast to reach 140 mph late Tuesday.
That typically includes very warm water, low vertical wind shear and high average humidity levels, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. Of the 9 hurricanes with winds of 150 mph or more that have hit the US mainland over 103 years, all have seen an explosion of force and strength known as rapid intensity. .
Insured Important Property Before Ian
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist has urged DeSantis to provide 90-day emergency property insurance to homeowners dropped by the “failing company”. Last week, state regulators asked a judge to rank property insurer FedNat Insurance Co.
Those defaults contributed to a massive growth in the number of clients pouring into the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Company, which was established as the insurer of last resort. Crist said the average property premium has grown from less than $2,000 when DeSantis took office in 2019 to more than $4,200.
NASA put the Artemis spacecraft back under construction
NASA will return the Artemis I Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to a building on Monday after data collected overnight “did not show expected improved conditions” for the site. area of the Kennedy Space Center, NASA said. This decision allows employees time to address their family’s needs while protecting the integrated rocket and spacecraft system. The launch, scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed because of the storm. Returning the spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building would likely further delay launch.
Artemis is the first step towards establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon in preparation for missions to Mars.
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How are theme parks handling Ian?
As Florida officials and residents watch the path of Hurricane Ian, theme parks in Central Florida are monitoring the weather and having cancellation policies in place in the event of a hurricane or tropical storm.
Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort said they are continuing to operate but are prepared for significant weather changes. Disney World will temporarily close some resort operations on Wednesday and Thursday.
Universal Orlando Resort spokesperson Alyson Sologaistoa told USA TODAY: “We have a plan and process in place for the weather that’s important and updated over time and on an ongoing basis.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will be closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Hurricane Ian . Tracker
Florida braced for Ian .’s rampage
The National Weather Service on Monday issued a storm warning along Florida’s west coast from north of Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a statewide state of emergency, urging residents to stock up on food, water, medicine, batteries and fuel. He said it was still too early to determine when or where Ian would make landfall, but that evacuation could be done in the coming days.
Bethune-Cookman University canceled classes Monday at its campus in Daytona Beach and said it would reconvene remotely on Tuesday.
“Heavy rains, strong winds, flash floods, high tides and even isolated tornadoes are forecast. Prepare now,” DeSantis said Sunday. “Anticipate power outages. That’s what’s likely to happen with a hurricane of this magnitude.”
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Category 4 hurricanes could do ‘catastrophic’ damage
If the storm that strikes is a Category 4 hurricane, it could cause “catastrophic” damage and power outages that could last for weeks or months, according to the National Weather Service’s description of strong storms. The weather service said areas could be uninhabitable for weeks or months.
“Even if you don’t necessarily have to be right in front of the hurricane’s path, there will be fairly broad state-wide impacts,” DeSantis warned.
Storm can cause heavy rain all week
Heavy rainfall is expected to affect North Florida, areas east of the Florida Panhandle, and parts of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic over the weekend. West-central Florida areas will see the most: 8 to 10 inches over most of the area. Some parts are visible up to 15 inches.
“Significant flooding impacts are possible mid-to-late weekend in central Florida provided the premise is saturated,” the weather agency warned. “Flash floods and urban flooding are possible with rainfall over the Florida Keys and peninsular Florida through midweek.”
Limited impact and surge flooding in rivers and streams in the area is possible in northern Florida and parts of the Southeast mid-to-late weekend.
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Florida’s west coast could be hit by a rare storm
AccuWeather meteorologists are warning that the storm could hit Florida’s west coast – an often overlooked target. The US database shows that about 160 hurricanes, not including tropical storms, have affected Florida. Only 17 landed on the west coast, north of the Florida Keys.
AccuWeather’s senior weather editor Jesse Ferrell said most storms usually move northeast or northwest, not up the coast. There is no record of a hurricane having fully tracked Florida’s west coast since records began in 1944. But Ian appears to have a “very unusual trail,” he said.
According to Ferrell, Florida has been the target of recent hurricanes but was downgraded to a tropical storm before making landfall. Elsa in 2021 makes landfall west of Tampa, and Eta in 2020 makes landfall north of Tampa in Cedar Key. However, no firepower comes close to a Category 3 hurricane.
Donations: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; Sergio Bustos, Democrat Tallahassee; Related press