Tropical Cyclone Forecasters predict that Ian will “rapidly strengthen” this weekend and might strike Florida early next week as a major hurricane. Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has proclaimed a state of emergency.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Tropical Storm Ian was moving through the central Caribbean Sea and was anticipated to pass to the southwest of Jamaica on Sunday evening. Early Sunday morning, it was located 345 miles south-southeast of Grand Cayman and moving at 12 mph west-northwest. It had sustained winds of up to 50 mph.
“Ian is projected to become a hurricane later today or tonight and reach major hurricane strength late Monday or Monday night before reaching western Cuba,” the National Hurricane Center said.
On September 24, 2022, in Orlando, Florida, a Publix shop in Metrowest was practically out of water as people prepared for Tropical Storm Ian, which is predicted to make landfall as a hurricane. Cristobal Reyes/Orlando Sentinel/Associated Press/Getty Images
The NHC predicted that Ian would pass west of the Cayman Islands early Monday morning and then pass near western Cuba late Monday evening. The organization cautioned that it might reach Florida by Tuesday, bringing the potential of flash flooding to the Florida peninsula and Florida Keys.
“Additional floods and rises on regional streams and rivers across northern Florida and parts of the Southeast cannot be ruled out,” the NHC warned in a Sunday morning alert. “Central Florida is particularly at risk,” the advisory added.
John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, stated that it is presently unknown where in Florida Hurricane Ian will make its strongest impact. He advised homeowners to begin storm preparations, including gathering food for possible power disruptions.
“It’s too early to tell if it will be a problem in southeast Florida, central Florida, or the entire state,” he said. “At this time, the most important lesson for Floridians is to monitor forecasts and prepare for the potential impact of this tropical system,” the author writes.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that in Pinellas Park, near Tampa, customers were waiting in line at a Home Depot when it opened at 6 a.m. Manager Wendy Macrini reported that the store had run out of generators and sold 600 cases of water by early afternoon.
“Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,” Matt Beaver of Pinellas Park told the Times.
Friday, DeSantis issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 24 counties in Florida that may be in the path of the hurricane. The state of emergency was extended to the entire state on Saturday. The Florida National Guard is also placed on standby. On Saturday night, the White House announced that President Biden had approved a federal emergency declaration for the state, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief efforts and provide aid to protect lives and property.
Due to the storm, the president postponed a scheduled trip to Florida on September 27.
The storm poses a risk of “dangerous storm surge, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, strong winds, hazardous seas, and isolated tornadic activity for the Florida Peninsula and portions of the Florida Big Bend, North Florida, and Northeast Florida,” Governor DeSantis said in an executive order issued on Saturday.
He advised all Floridians to “be prepared.”
The NHC predicted that Jamaica and the Cayman Islands might get between 3 and 6 inches of precipitation. Cuba could receive 4 to 8 inches of precipitation, while southern and central Florida might receive 2 to 4 inches.
According to the NHC, parts of Jamaica and Cuba with steep terrain are at risk for flash flooding and mudslides. When Ian strikes Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday morning, storm surges could be 9 to 14 feet over average.