Hurricane Ian has made landfall in Cuba after emerging from the Gulf of Mexico and growing to a category three storm.
At 11 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Service reported that the hurricane had emerged in the southwestern portion of the Gulf of Mexico.
Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Service reported that the storm was located approximately 10 miles north-northeast of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, and was heading north at approximately 12 mph.
The hurricane reportedly pounded western Cuba with severe winds and a life-threatening storm surge.
Estimated maximum sustained winds were 125 mph.
The NHC noted in its 8 a.m. EDT update that Ian is heading north, and this motion is predicted to continue throughout the day.
Ian is traveling toward Western Florida at a speed of 12 mph and is projected to make landfall “anywhere between Fort Myers and Tampa,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said at a White House briefing Tuesday afternoon.
Tonight and Wednesday, the NHC predicts the storm will veer toward the north-northeast with lower speeds.
Once it reaches Florida, the storm is expected to slow to 5 mph, according to Criswell.
Criswell stated, “Floridians will feel the effects of the storm for a very long time.”
Tuesday evening, Ian is forecast to pass to the west of the Florida Keys. According to the NHC, it will then travel near the west coast of Florida on Wednesday and through Wednesday night.
Criswell stated that a probable storm surge is the greatest concern because it is the major cause of hurricane-related fatalities.
The Florida storm surge warning has been expanded southward. It extends from Anclote River to Flamingo and includes Charlotte Harbor, where the NHC anticipates the highest storm surge of up to 12 feet. The storm surge in Tampa Bay is forecast to be between 5 and 8 feet.
Criswell stated they anticipate up to 25 inches of precipitation in some remote areas of Florida.
Heavy precipitation is anticipated to cause flooding throughout Florida, including as far east as Orlando.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for the majority of the state.
The last time a storm of this magnitude struck Florida was a century ago, when a Category 3 hit Tampa Bay, knocking out power and killing eight people. According to The Tampa Bay Times, the population was just approximately 200,000 at the time.
Tropical storms and hurricanes are becoming more powerful, slower, and wetter, and consequently more destructive and lethal, due to climate change.
Because cyclones feed on warm air and water, rising global temperatures aid their rapid intensification, as seen with Hurricane Ian. Warm air contains more moisture, thus storms produce more precipitation than they would otherwise.