Floridians are bracing for Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to rapidly intensify into a hurricane on Sunday before hitting western Cuba, bringing with it threats of high winds and storm surges of up to 9 to 14 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Ian’s exact path beyond Tuesday remains unclear: The storm, which developed in the central Caribbean Sea on Friday, is expected to hit the US, when and how strong it will be.
Forecasters predict the storm will reach its Category 4 peak over the eastern Gulf of Mexico in three days, but Ian is expected to weaken before reaching Florida.
Still, Florida officials are urging residents to be prepared for the worst, with the hurricane center warning Sunday morning of a “risk of dangerous storm surge, gale-force winds and heavy rain along the West Coast.” of Florida and the Florida Panhandle” for the middle of the week, regardless of the exact track and strength of the storm.
“We will continue to monitor the path of this storm, but it is very important to emphasize the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” Governor Ron DeSantis said at a news conference on Sunday, warning residents that even if the storm weakens before touching land, “would still have significant impacts”.
Floridians can expect “heavy rain, high winds, flash flooding, storm surge and even isolated tornadoes,” the governor said. But the director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management focused particularly on the storm surge threat, warning that any storm surge that develops while Ian is a major hurricane could linger as it approaches land, even if the storm settles. weakens.
“We could see a situation where we have Category 4 storm surge and potentially a Category 1 or 2 hurricane coming in,” director Kevin Guthrie said.
Anne Bink, associate administrator for FEMA’s Office of Response and Recovery, kept the message simple: “Get ready now.”
Floridians should know their evacuation routes and have preparedness kits that can last at least three days, Bink told CNN. “Things like food, water, battery chargers for your phone. Even things like your insurance documents — take pictures of them to have with you,” Bink said.
“We expect rapid intensification with this storm,” Bink said. “My message is: take this seriously and listen to your local officials.”
Meanwhile, Ian is expected to be a major hurricane — a Category 3 or higher — when it passes near or over western Cuba, the hurricane center said Sunday morning, and forecasters are becoming more confident that residents there face life-threatening storm surge and gale force winds.
As of Sunday morning, Ian was located about 300 miles south-southeast of Grand Cayman with maximum sustained winds of up to 50 mph (85 kph), based on the center of the hurricane, as it tracked west-northwest about 14mph (22kph).
A hurricane warning is in effect for Grand Cayman and several Cuban provinces, including Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Río and Artemisa, while a tropical storm warning has been issued for the provinces of Havana, Mayabeque and Matanzas.
Tropical storm conditions are possible across Cuba on Monday afternoon, with hurricane conditions likely to continue Monday through Tuesday, the hurricane center said. Ian is forecast to bring 6 to 10 inches of rain with isolated totals of up to 16 inches possible in western Cuba. That could contribute to flash flooding or even mudslides in areas of high ground. And storm surge is forecast along Cuba’s western coast Monday night through Tuesday.
According to the hurricane center, Ian will maintain its major hurricane status as it moves north through the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida prepares for possible hurricanes, floods and winds
Florida authorities are distributing sandbags and asking Floridians to prepare their properties to reduce the risk of storm damage and stock up on supplies like radios, water, canned food and medicine. Residents should also pack important documents and know their evacuation routes.
“This is the calm before the storm,” Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann told CNN on Saturday. “We experience this kind of adrenaline rush before a storm and the road could change at any moment, but we want our citizens to be prepared.”
On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expanded an emergency order to include every county in the state, saying conditions “are projected to constitute a major disaster.” President Joe Biden declared an emergency for Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement response efforts.
In Daytona Beach, Bethune-Cookman University issued a mandatory evacuation order and canceled classes Monday with plans to resume online Tuesday. Concerns about Ian’s arrival have also delayed the third Artemis I rocket launch attempt scheduled for Tuesday.
Storm surge, when the force of a hurricane or storm pushes ocean water ashore, can be one of the greatest threats to life and property from a hurricane. This is the main reason Miami-Dade County residents are being asked to evacuate ahead of a hurricane, according to county officials.
“We are outside the cone of uncertainty. We can’t relax,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told CNN on Saturday. “We know there’s always a chance it could change. The storm has continued to move west. This is the time everyone needs to make sure they have a plan.”
Levine Cava urged residents to make sure they have enough food and water and to check their storm surge planning zone.
“We’re very hopeful that even with a big rain event, we can handle it,” he said. “We are on standby. We have additional pumps and have worked with the South Florida Water Management District to lower the canal levels.”
Miami-Dade County is preparing its “expansive shelter system,” including for those fleeing the Florida Keys if evacuations are ordered there.
Heitmann is already seeing lines at gas stations in Naples as residents brace for the potential hurricane, he said.
“They’re taking it seriously, and I encourage those who don’t take it seriously to always take a storm seriously, because you can never estimate where that storm may turn. And we have to be prepared and if we don’t coming right at us, it could be strong winds,” Heitmann said.
In Sarasota, authorities are checking generators, planning with local police, trying to estimate how much flooding is possible and warning residents to be prepared, Mayor Erik Arroyo told CNN.
“Don’t underestimate the dangers that come with wind gusts, storm surge, flooding, especially since we’re a coastal city. So we’re telling them to leave now, to be ready early,” Arroyo said.