Hurricane

Ian was forecast to intensify rapidly and hit Cuba as a major hurricane late Monday, and then become an even stronger Category 4 hurricane over warm Gulf of ...

The president postponed a scheduled Tuesday trip to Florida because of the storm. Zones to be evacuated include all along Tampa Bay and the rivers that feed it. With tropical storm force winds extending 115 miles (185 kilometers) from Ian's center, watches covered the Florida Keys to Lake Okeechobee. The Buccaneers said the team will leave Tampa on Tuesday and relocate in Miami-Dade County. Ron DeSantis declared a statewide emergency and warned that Ian could lash large areas of the state, knocking out power and interrupting fuel supplies as it swirls northward off the state's Gulf Coast. You're going to have a lot of different impacts." Floridians lined up for hours in Tampa to collect bags of sand and cleared store shelves of bottled water. Time is of the essence," Wise said. "We seem to have dodged the bullet" Grand Cayman resident Gary Hollins said. Some of those evacuations were beginning Monday afternoon in the most vulnerable areas, with schools and other locations opening as shelters. You're going to have flood events. This is not a drill," Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Timothy Dudley said at a news conference on storm preparations in Tampa.

All eyes are on Hurricane Ian as it makes its way through the Caribbean and moves toward the west coast of Florida, and the people with the most intimate ...

Mitchell and his team will be flying for the next 4-5 hours in the storm, collecting data from all four of the storm’s quadrants. [Hurricane Ian](https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/tracking-hurricane-ian) as it makes its way through the Caribbean and moves toward the west coast of Florida, and the people with the most intimate view of the storm right now are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s Hurricane Hunters. That energy can be seen in the development of Ian’s eye wall. [Hurricane Hunters](https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/noaa-hurricane-hunter-rebecca-waddington-sky-limit) are part of the Aircraft Reconnaissance of the National Hurricane Center, a division within NOAA. "So, that gives us pause, and that makes us fly extra cautious and makes our job harder to find the center and have the time to maneuver inside that eye when the eye is so small," he added. Rob Mitchell said the eye of Hurricane Ian is fairly small, which makes their job of gathering data about the storm more difficult.

COMMENTARY | A meteorologist explains why the looming storm could be especially dangerous for the state's Gulf Coast.

[Browse The Atlas full case study database](https://the-atlas.com/projects?utm_campaign=articles&utm_content=3-reasons-hurricane-ian-poses-major-flooding-hazard-florida-meteorologist-explains-377647&utm_medium=feature-box&utm_source=route-fifty&utm_term=flooding)or read more case studies about [Flooding](https://the-atlas.com/projects?utm_campaign=articles&term=flooding&utm_medium=feature-box&utm_term=flooding&utm_content=3-reasons-hurricane-ian-poses-major-flooding-hazard-florida-meteorologist-explains-377647&utm_source=route-fifty). [expected to intensify](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=2) over the Gulf of Mexico. [Athena Masson](https://theconversation.com/profiles/athena-masson-1231604) is an adjunct professor at [Flagler College](https://theconversation.com/institutions/flagler-college-4996) in St. [Permeable pavement stormwater capture eliminates residential flooding in Grand RapidsGrand Rapids, MI](https://the-atlas.com/projects/permeable-pavement-eliminates-residential-flooding-in-grand-rapids-3028?utm_campaign=articles&utm_content=3-reasons-hurricane-ian-poses-major-flooding-hazard-florida-meteorologist-explains-377647&utm_medium=feature-box&utm_source=route-fifty&utm_term=flooding) [Smarter stormwater drainage to head off localized flooding, intensifying rainfall in London boroughCroydon, UK](https://the-atlas.com/projects/smarter-stormwater-drainage-to-head-off-localized-flooding--intensifying-rainfall-in-london-borough-3028?utm_campaign=articles&utm_content=3-reasons-hurricane-ian-poses-major-flooding-hazard-florida-meteorologist-explains-377647&utm_medium=feature-box&utm_source=route-fifty&utm_term=flooding) [slow start](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIATWSAT.shtml) to the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, Ian has ideal conditions. The part of the storm east of the center of circulation generally has more cloud cover and more rain. If the storm is large enough, it could even generate storm surge on the eastern side of the Florida Peninsula, like Irma did along portions of northeast Florida. The Tampa Bay area in particular should be monitoring Ian closely, especially if the center of circulation makes a direct impact or if it remains just offshore. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. Since land surrounds the Gulf of Mexico, there is nowhere for this water to go but inland. But as Florida saw with Andrew, wind damage can be catastrophic in these smaller systems. Its winds could weaken before landfall in the U.S., but the scale doesn’t take water risk into account, and flooding and storm surge are both major risks from Ian.

A strengthening Hurricane Ian's rain and winds lashed Cuba's western tip, where authorities have evacuated 50000 people, as it became a major Category 3 ...

The president postponed a scheduled Tuesday trip to Florida because of the storm. With tropical storm force winds extending 115 miles (185 kilometers) from Ian's center, watches covered the Florida Keys to Lake Okeechobee. Ron DeSantis declared a statewide emergency and warned that Ian could lash large areas of the state, knocking out power and interrupting fuel supplies as it swirls northward off the state's Gulf Coast. Time is of the essence," Wise said. EDT (0830 GMT) update that Ian made landfall in Cuba as it continued to strengthen, with sustained winds of 125 mph (205 km/h). Some of those evacuations were beginning Monday afternoon in the most vulnerable areas, with schools and other locations opening as shelters.

The first tough winds ahead of Hurricane Ian began to strike Cuba's south coast on Monday evening as authorities were swift to evacuate residents, ...

Officials said they were also monitoring aging dams, many of which were already nearing capacity before the storm. “The sea always surges here.” “The water will be up to my knees,” he added.

In October 1921, a hurricane that slammed into southwest Florida killed at least eight people, causing widespread destruction and flooding parts of downtown ...

A storm surge warning was in effect for Tampa, signaling a danger of life-threatening inundation, and many residents along the edges of the bay were busy evacuating. The 1921 storm, the most destructive to hit the Tampa area since 1848, was so powerful that it wrecked coastal structures for miles and smashed ships against docks after pulling them off their moorings. The Tampa/Tarpon Springs Hurricane, as the storm is known, made landfall on Oct. [spared the Tampa Bay area](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/14/us/hurricane-charley-the-overview-hurricane-rips-path-of-damage-across-florida.html). (The scale defines “major” hurricanes as Category 3 or higher.) [according to the National Weather Service](https://www.weather.gov/tbw/hurricane1921).

Warnings that catastrophic storm surges could cause flooding in Tampa region as hurricane makes landfall in Cuba.

[vulnerable to flooding](https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/health/environment/tampa-bay-climate-change/) from a storm surge as the bay is shallow. [Grocery stores](https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/09/27/tampa-bay-preps-shortages-ahead-hurricane-ian/) were selling out of bottled water. [at capacity](https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/09/27/tuesday-live-updates-tampa-bay-final-hours-prep-hurricane-ian-nears/) in one Tampa county. In that case, the area could see a 10-ft storm surge, bringing major flooding to the area, according to the As seen throughout Florida, despite the risks posed by rising sea levels and storms made more powerful by climate change, luxury condominiums have “This is a really, really big hurricane at this point.” In 2015, a firm in Boston that analyzes catastrophe models named Tampa as the city [most prone](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2015/09/15/381499.htm) to storm surge flooding. [ press conference](https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/hurricane/2022/09/27/hurricane-ian-path-evacuations-storm-surge-winds-news-florida-information/8122901001/). Distributions for sandbags, which are used to alleviate flooding damage, were Last year, Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana as a category 4 hurricane and cost an “This is a life-threatening situation. [estimated](https://www.nola.com/news/hurricane/article_716be8ee-83cf-11ec-a605-a7749397ceec.html#:~:text=Ida%2C%202021%2C%20%2475%20billion&text=hit%20the%20state.-,Its%20wind%20and%20storm%20surge%20caused%20catastrophic%20damage%20along%20the,southeast%20Louisiana%20and%20south%20Mississippi.) $75bn in damages.

From Fort Myers to Sarasota and Tampa, here's the Hurricane Ian forecast for cities in Florida. More U.S. cities like Atlanta, Raleigh and Charleston will ...

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting 2 to 4 inches of rain and a 10 to 20 percent chance of tropical storm conditions. While winds below tropical storm force are currently forecast, the National Weather Service is warning that the forecast could change to feature sustained winds at tropical storm strength. A [flood watch](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ045&warncounty=FLC095&firewxzone=FLZ045&local_place1=Orlando%20FL&product1=Flood+Watch&lat=28.5047&lon=-81.3742) has also been posted for Orlando, which is expected to start seeing tropical storm conditions by Wednesday morning. The National Hurricane Center is warning residents to be prepared for wind speeds up to that of a Category 2 hurricane, as there remains considerable uncertainty in Ian’s eventual track, size and strength as it passes near Jacksonville. [storm surge warning](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ165&warncounty=FLC071&firewxzone=FLZ165&local_place1=2%20Miles%20N%20Saint%20James%20City%20FL&product1=Storm+Surge+Warning&lat=26.5343&lon=-82.0882) and a [hurricane warning](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ165&warncounty=FLC071&firewxzone=FLZ165&local_place1=2%20Miles%20N%20Saint%20James%20City%20FL&product1=Hurricane+Warning&lat=26.5343&lon=-82.0882), with a [flood watch](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ265&warncounty=FLC071&firewxzone=FLZ265&local_place1=Villas%20FL&product1=Flood+Watch&lat=26.5611&lon=-81.8639) also in effect until Thursday night. Regardless, Sarasota is expected to take a severe punch from the storm, with Regardless of how windy it gets, the city is already seeing impacts from Ian; a [flood watch](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ072&warncounty=FLC011&firewxzone=FLZ072&local_place1=Miami%20Gardens%20FL&product1=Flood+Watch&lat=25.9794&lon=-80.2028) and [tornado watch](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ072&warncounty=FLC011&firewxzone=FLZ072&local_place1=Miami%20Gardens%20FL&product1=Tornado+Watch&lat=25.9794&lon=-80.2028) are posted. Tornadoes will also be possible as the storm tracks closer to the city. Tropical storm conditions will begin Wednesday morning, with hurricane-force winds expected to begin Wednesday afternoon and not abating until Thursday afternoon. Freshwater flooding is also likely, with 4 to 8 inches of rainfall likely, with locally higher amounts possible. A modest storm surge of up to one foot is also possible. [tropical storm watch](https://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=FLZ173&warncounty=FLC086&firewxzone=FLZ173&local_place1=Miami%20FL&product1=Tropical+Storm+Watch&lat=25.77&lon=-80.2) for the possibility of sustained winds climbing to tropical storm force.

The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center in Miami shows that Ian is expected to bring a storm surge of up to 8 feet in Tampa Bay before it ...

“We can still keep getting fuel from those cruise tanks and get that back out into the market,” Guthrie said. Officials from the DEM began sending supplies and manpower to the Tampa area on Sunday. “I do have concerns about complacency,” Criswell said, noting that Ian is set to strike a part of Florida that has not seen a major direct impact in close to 100 years. “The Gulf is going to be very angry as this comes in, and you’re going to see that happening,” he said of the expected storm surge. “If you’re ordered to evacuate, that’s a decision based on what we’re seeing with the storm and what your local officials are seeing with the storm and the potential impact for that part of the state,” Florida Gov. Coast Guard closed ports along the Gulf Coast on Tuesday to inbound traffic but workers have preserved access to fuel stored in large tanks on site meant for cruise ships. The agency also has 128,000 gallons of fuel, 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water pre-staged to be used during storm recovery. “When your local emergency officials are instituting an order for evacuation, the purpose of that is to protect people’s lives,” DeSantis said. “We’ve had a lot of staging in Tampa Bay, and there will still be support there,” DeSantis said. Ian began moving toward Florida through the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday morning after it crossed over the western tip of Cuba overnight as a Category 3 storm. DeSantis summoned 5,000 Florida National Guard troops to assist in preparation efforts, and another 2,000 guardsmen have been brought in from other states. “That doesn’t mean you need to go all across God’s creation to evacuate — just get to the higher ground and get into a safe structure.”

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2022 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses in the path ...

USDA can also assist local government sponsors with the cost of recovery efforts like debris removal and streambank stabilization to address natural resource concerns and hazards through the [Emergency Watershed Protection Program](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/programs/landscape/ewpp/?cid=nrcseprd1381472). For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local [USDA Service Center](https://www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator). For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their [crop insurance agent](https://www.rma.usda.gov/en/Information-Tools/Agent-Locator-Page). In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. Department of Agriculture](https://www.usda.gov/) (USDA) reminds communities, farmers and ranchers, families and small businesses in the path of Hurricane Ian that USDA has programs that provide assistance in the wake of disasters. NAP or Federal Crop Insurance often only covers the crop and not the plant. USDA also developed a [disaster assistance discovery tool](https://www.farmers.gov/recover/disaster-assistance-tool#step-1) specifically targeted to rural and agricultural issues. You also may contact APHIS Veterinary Services state offices for information and assistance about protecting and moving livestock. If it is not feasible to evacuate your livestock, be sure to provide a strong shelter, and adequate food and water that will last them until you can return. A full freezer will hold a safe temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). - Freeze water in small plastic storage bags or containers prior to a storm. [Disaster Resource Center](/topics/disaster).

Hurricanes can be harmful and hazardous. Because of this, it's crucial to be aware of and comprehend weather notifications both before and during a ...

At 8 a.m., Manatee County, which is located south of St. 48 hours before the area is expected to experience tropical storm-force winds, a hurricane watch is issued. A hurricane warning means that sustained winds of 74 mph or more are anticipated somewhere within the designated area. On Tuesday, shelters will be open as of 10 a.m. on Monday. Hurricanes can be harmful and hazardous.

Much of the state is at risk of heavy rainfall, and the coast could see devastating storm surge, particularly around Tampa Bay.

Residents were encouraged to [check their evacuation zones](https://www.floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone/) and [identify the closest shelters](https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/shelters/) before the storm arrives. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. Residents across Florida need to prepare for the risk of heavy rain, flash flooding, storm surge, isolated tornadoes and strong winds. If the storm is large enough, it could even generate storm surge on the eastern side of the Florida Peninsula, like Irma did along portions of northeast Florida. [see some storm surge and coastal flooding](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/102341.shtml?peakSurge#contents), especially as the storm nears land. The part of the storm east of the center of circulation generally has more cloud cover and more rain. The Tampa area forecast as of Tuesday, was for up to 10 feet of storm surge that could be pushed into Tampa Bay. But as Florida saw with Andrew, wind damage can be catastrophic in these smaller systems. Up to 3 feet of storm surge was expected for the Florida Keys and South Florida, but these amounts could also be higher, especially as Ian strengthens. Several areas, including around Tampa Bay, were under [evacuation orders](https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/09/26/hillsborough-orders-300000-evacuate/). Since land surrounds the Gulf of Mexico, there is nowhere for this water to go but inland. But the scale doesn’t take water risk into account, and flooding and storm surge are both major risks from Ian.

The National Weather Service's Joel Cline wants residents to know when danger is coming. But he adds, "If people think of a hurricane as a dot and a city as ...

You take the heat from the tropics and you move it toward the mid-latitudes. That's physics: You've got a lot of heat at the equator and you don't have a lot of heat at the poles. So you have higher winds over a larger area in the hurricane and maybe not as high in the center. The way the planet handles that is, it takes heat and transports it. It has to go off to the northeast at some point in time. In the tropics, it goes east to west. And little differences will matter to people on the ground, where they live. Over the weekend, Ian's predicted path shifted briefly to Tampa, then far north to the Tallahassee area in the Panhandle — and then it moved south again. On Monday, for instance, it stressed that "there is still significant uncertainty in the track of Ian, especially in the 3-5 day time frame." While a map tends to highlight the eye of the storm, Ian is spinning hurricane-force winds up to 35 miles out from its center, with tropical-storm-force winds four times as far. "There's a reason we have this cone of uncertainty," Joel Cline, the tropical program coordinator for the National Weather Service, told NPR. First off, there are very few "easy" hurricanes to forecast and they're all different.

Florida's vulnerable Tampa Bay area could be struck directly for the first time in a century.

In the airport, one man said he had not faced the prospect of a storm like this in his 43 years of living in the area. On one flight to Tampa on Tuesday, returning residents discussed the approaching storm. "This is not a drill," Mayor Castor said. If hit directly, the region may be "unrecognisable" in the next couple of days, Mr Salna told the BBC. This is, in its own way, a human nature trainwreck," said Richard Olson, director of the extreme events institute at Florida International University (FIU). Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor said on Tuesday that the city would also be implementing a curfew for remaining residents.

The warm water creates “a lot more rocket fuel for the storm.” And this effect is likely to become even more frequent due to climate change, scientists say.

While hurricane seasons fluctuate year-to-year, when looked at over 10-year intervals, there are roughly 25 percent more rapidly intensifying storms in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific now than 40 years ago, according to an analysis of National Hurricane Center data by The Associated Press. “It’s more likely because of climate change,” he said. “But it’s really hard to say that climate change has an impact on any one storm in terms of its formation or its individual intensity.” Yet while storms aren’t necessarily more frequent, they are getting nastier because of global warming, experts say. It exacerbates deadly storm surges through sea-level rise, worsens freshwater flooding and increases the proportion of monster Category 4 and 5 storms, like Fiona last week, several studies show. The build up of heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels is making storms slower and wetter.

The category 3 hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida and could bring heavy rains and strong winds to the Elon area later this week.

[Family Weekend](https://www.elon.edu/u/parents/family-weekend/) at Elon and the university will keep the community updated about any changes to planned events, especially outdoor activities that will be adapted to the weather conditions. All are encouraged to monitor the [Family Weekend website](https://www.elon.edu/u/parents/family-weekend/) and official Elon social media channels for updates. The university will offer its next community-wide email update on Hurricane Ian no later than 5 p.m. Additionally, this post will be updated with new information from weather forecasts and any important operational changes at the university. The edge of the storm is currently predicted to reach west central Florida and continue a path northward through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina throughout this week. University officials have been monitoring the projected path of the storm.

Ian is forecast to make landfall in southwest Florida as a major hurricane on Wednesday night, with winds up to 130 miles per hour and the biggest storm surge — ...

“The way it’s positioned, it’s difficult for a hurricane to take a track that’s going to blow wind into the bay continuously.” “It’s not going to be possible to rebuild in the same way,” she said. “People say, ‘Are you sure you want to go back?’” she said of living on such a vulnerable patch of land. The airport is close to Tampa Bay, so storm surge and flooding are a top concern, said John Tiliacos, the executive vice president of airport operations. Ian is forecast to make landfall in southwest Florida as a major hurricane on Wednesday night, with winds up to 130 miles per hour and the biggest storm surge — up to 12 feet — predicted roughly between Sarasota and Naples. Home to more than three million people, with about 700 miles of shoreline, the region is vulnerable even to minor storms because the Gulf of Mexico is shallow, said David S. [a report from Karen Clark and Co.](https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2015/09/15/381499.htm), a catastrophe modeling firm based in Boston, called Tampa Bay the most vulnerable place in the United States for hurricane storm surge, pegging possible losses from such flooding at $175 billion. Officials said the power company was working to restore power, with the hope that some parts of the grid would be working by Wednesday morning. 25 with winds of about 120 miles per hour, a velocity that would have made it a Category 3 storm. The last one hit more than a century ago, in 1921, inundating much of Tampa and surrounding towns. No matter where the storm hits, millions of people will be affected. — With so many near-misses over the decades, it had become common to believe Florida’s Tampa Bay region was somehow protected from hurricanes.

The storm was forecast to roll off Cuban and then strengthen over warm, Gulf of Mexico waters to a Category 4 storm. Updates.

Significant, prolonged river flooding is expected across central to northern Florida.] [Limited flash and river flooding is expected over portions of the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic mid-to-late week.] [WHAT IS STORM SURGE?: ] [It's often a hurricane's deadliest and most destructive threat](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/18/storm-surge-definition-hurricane-threat/9797051002/) [Florida National Guard called into duty] [Florida Gov. [strengthen to a Category 4 storm over warm, Gulf of Mexico waters](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/26/hurricane-ian-rapid-intensification/8119513001/). [Category 4 storms can cause 'catastrophic' damage] [If the storm struck as a Category 4 hurricane, it could cause "catastrophic" damage, and power outages could last weeks or months, according to the National Weather Service's description of storms that strong. [Hurricane categories, explained: ] [Breaking down the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind speed scale](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/19/hurricane-wind-speed-saffir-simpson-scale/9807231002/) [What is 'rapid intensification'? [Hurricane Ian tracker] [Ian will slow down over the Gulf, growing wider and stronger, “which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west coast of Florida,” the hurricane center said.] [Ian was forecast to emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico](https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/09/26/hurricane-tracker-where-is-ian-headed/8118340001/) on Tuesday and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday and Wednesday night. The storm's winds were forecast to approach 140 mph by late Tuesday.] ] ["Rapid intensification" is a process in which a storm undergoes accelerated growth: The phenomenon is typically defined to be a tropical cyclone (whether a tropical storm or hurricane) intensifying by at least 35 mph within 24 hours. "Just go straight across the state to Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach." The Gulf is going to be very angry as this comes in." "Because of the size of the storm, it's kicking up a lot of surge. Along with the howling winds, parts of Central Florida could see 12-16 inches of rain with 2 feet possible in isolated areas. Hundreds of thousands of Floridians faced mandatory evacuation orders as the National Hurricane Center expanded the hurricane warning along more than 150 miles of the state's Gulf Coast.

Crews were working through the night to restore power. “It's a process that is going to take a while,” the head of the Electrical Union told state ...

The economy has been hobbled in part by the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and in part by new U.S. “Aid is already pouring in from all over the country.” sanctions imposed by the Trump administration and partially maintained by the Biden administration. “The damages are great, although they have not yet been accounted,” he tweeted. Failures appeared in the western, central and eastern links. A man in a different municipality died when a roof collapsed.

Ian hit a Cuba that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months.

The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. A hospital in Pinar del Río was damaged. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island’s western end, devastating Pinar del Río province, where much of the tobacco used for Cuba’s iconic cigars is grown. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cuba’s western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no fatalities had been reported by Tuesday night.

Hurricane Ian is headed for the gulf coast of Florida after making landfall in Cuba. The hurricane is expected to bring storm surge and heavy rain to the ...

more frequently in recent years](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/09/29/record-us-hurricane-landfalls-climate/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_9). And last summer alone, [nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/09/04/climate-disaster-hurricane-ida/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_10). [seven safety tips to help you get ready for hurricanes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/05/03/hurricane-safety-prepare-noaa/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_6). Read more about [how climate change is fueling severe weather events](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/10/22/climate-curious-disasters-climate-change/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_11). [intensified this fall with conditions prime for storms](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/08/17/hurricane-season-tropical-atlantic/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_1). For the seventh year in a row, hurricane officials expect [an above-average season of hurricane activity](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/05/24/noaa-atlantic-hurricane-outlook-2022/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_5).

In Jamaica, Ian moved south of the island, producing around three to six inches of rainfall, storm surge and swells that affected coastal communities.

In La Habana, one of the six provinces under a hurricane alert, moderate rainfall and strong wind gusts have left several areas in the island’s capital of the same name without power. In Jamaica, Ian moved south of the island, producing around three to six inches of rainfall, storm surge and swells that affected coastal communities. The system rapidly intensified as it moved across Cuba, becoming the fourth hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

Florida residents rushed to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and flee from oncoming Hurricane Ian, fearing the monstrous ...

The approach of the storm also kicked up warnings of isolated tornados. “It was horrible,” said Yusimi Palacios, a 49-years-old resident of Pinar del Rio inside her damaged house. Glyn and Christine Williams of London were told to leave their hotel near the beach when evacuations were ordered. “You know, you got to go with the flow,” Glyn Williams said. A couple from England on vacation in Tampa found themselves faced with riding out the storm at a shelter. “It is a big storm, it is going to kick up a lot of water as it comes in,” Florida Gov. Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without electricity. that the storm is moving closer to the west coast of Florida, moving north-northeast about 10 mph (17 kph) toward Naples. With Ian’s tropical storm-force winds extending 140 miles (225 kilometers) from its center, damage was expected across a wide area of Florida. “You can’t do anything about natural disasters,” said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens seeking a hotel in the tourist district of Orlando. Ian’s forward movement slowed over the Gulf, enabling the hurricane to grow wider and stronger. Fueled by warm offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Ian was gaining strength after plowing over western Cuba’s prized tobacco-growing region as a Category 3 storm on Tuesday.

Crews in Cuba are working to restore power for millions Wednesday after Hurricane Ian battered the western region with high winds and dangerous storm surge, ...

“We almost lost the roof off our house,” Suarez said. One of her nephews also recorded videos of the family’s flooded home. The uncertainty is killing me.” An economic crisis has been gripping Cuba, leading to shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Mayelin Suarez, a resident of Pinar del Rio, told Reuters the storm made for the darkest night of her life. The entirety of Cuba lost power after Ian made landfall as a Category 3 storm just southwest of La Coloma in the Pinar del Rio province early Tuesday morning.

But when it comes to evacuating from Ian's path, residents such as Sharon Charles told NPR that they have no choice but to stay put and ride through the storm.

"They might be elderly residents who are living independently. "It's easy to think: Of course, people should just pack up and leave," she said. "When you go through that cycle once or twice, you're more skeptical," he added. "There's a sense of storm fatigue. "While looking at an evacuation map at a county in Florida, I saw they have it in both English and Spanish and thought 'OK, that's great.' But also there are people there who may not speak either language," said Cuite. But for "people with disabilities, those with pets or simply [if] you don't have a car or enough money on hand to leave, that can make it really challenging."

Various counties across central Florida are opening up various shelters for the general population. Here are some of the resources being made available for ...

[Orlando is providing free transportation](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61200c4a2ec57063cb010a11/t/6333436706bc0a52169bbc4c/1664303975636/Orlando%27s+Emergency+Storm+and+Homeless+Shelters+2022.pdf) via buses to its five homeless and emergency shelters beginning Wednesday afternoon. [https://www.scgov.net/government/emergency-services/emergency-management/evacuation-centers](https://www.scgov.net/government/emergency-services/emergency-management/evacuation-centers). [https://www.osceola.org/agencies-departments/emergency-management/shelters.stml](https://www.osceola.org/agencies-departments/emergency-management/shelters.stml). [https://www.orangecountyfl.net/EmergencySafety/shelters.aspx#.YzQFguzMKha](https://www.orangecountyfl.net/EmergencySafety/shelters.aspx#.YzQFguzMKha). But for unhoused people who may not have that option, shelters across the state are offering their resources. [visit here](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/61200c4a2ec57063cb010a11/t/6333436706bc0a52169bbc4c/1664303975636/Orlando%27s+Emergency+Storm+and+Homeless+Shelters+2022.pdf). [Osceola County](https://www.osceola.org/agencies-departments/emergency-management/shelters.stml) has five general population shelters (two are pet friendly), as well as one special needs shelter. [Orange County is opening up five high schools ](https://www.orangecountyfl.net/EmergencySafety/shelters.aspx#.YzQFguzMKha)for the general population, including those who have been evacuated and those living in low-lying areas. Three of the shelters are pet friendly, according to the [Homeless Services Network of Central Florida](https://hsncfl.org/), a part of the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness. [upgraded the hurricane](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/261755.shtml) to a Category 4 storm early Wednesday.

The major hurricane has prompted warnings of possibly dangerous storm surge along the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay ...

The precise location of landfall was still uncertain, but with Ian's tropical storm-force winds extending 175 miles (280 kilometers) from its center, flash floods were possible across the whole state. The hurricane could push as much as 12 feet (3.6 meters) of ocean water ashore in Florida, the U.S. Glyn and Christine Williams of London were told to leave their hotel near the beach when evacuations were ordered. "You know, you got to go with the flow," Glyn Williams said. "It was horrible," said Yusimi Palacios, a resident of Pinar del Rio inside her damaged house. A couple from England on vacation in Tampa found themselves faced with riding out the storm at a shelter. But with hurricane-force winds expected over much of the peninsula, many cities could see significant damage. Ron DeSantis said in Sarasota, a coastal city of 57,000 in the storm's projected path. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status. "It is a big storm, it is going to kick up a lot of water as it comes in," Florida Gov. Rainfall near the area of landfall could top 18 inches (46 centimeters). "You can't do anything about natural disasters," said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens seeking a hotel in the tourist district of Orlando.

The latest 8 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) hurricane advisory put Ian's top winds at 120 mph (195 km per hour). Residents of Florida's Gulf Coast boarded up homes, packed ...

A Category 3 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale carries maximum sustained winds of up to 129 miles per hour (208 km per hour). There were warnings that the sprawling storm is on track to make landfall as a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday evening somewhere along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Florida has issued evacuation orders to more than 2.5 million residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast as Hurricane Ian draws near, threatening to bring a deadly storm surge and more than a foot of rain to some areas.

Hurricane Ian is expected to directly hit the US state of Florida on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of life-threatening storm surges and "devastating" ...

The decision you choose to make may be the difference between life and death,” she said. “Everything we have is damaged,” she said. Others had to make do with flashlights or candles at home, and lit their way with cell phones as they walked the streets. The NHC said earlier that a “life-threatening storm surge is expected along the Florida west coast and the Lower Florida Keys,” with “devastating wind damage” expected near Ian’s core. “The center of Ian is forecast to move over central Florida Wednesday night and Thursday morning and emerge over the western Atlantic by late Thursday,” the NHC said, calling the storm “an extremely dangerous major hurricane.” Hurricane Ian is expected to directly hit the US state of Florida on Wednesday, with forecasters warning of life-threatening storm surges and “devastating” winds after it reportedly killed two and left millions without power in Cuba.

Cuba remained in the dark early Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out its power grid and devastated some of the country's most important tobacco farms ...

The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt. A hospital in Pinar del Río was damaged. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island’s western end, devastating Pinar del Río province, where much of the tobacco used for Cuba’s iconic cigars is grown. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no fatalities had been reported by Tuesday night. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cuba’s western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed.

Island's electricity grid collapses after hurricane hits, as people in Florida told to evacuate. Plus, Bowie's Starman lyrics fly at auction.

[the grimmest picture yet of the destruction of avian life](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/28/nearly-half-worlds-bird-species-in-decline-as-destruction-of-avian-life-intensifies-aoe). [sold for more than ](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/sep/27/bowies-handwritten-starman-lyrics-sell-for-stellar-200000)$200,000 at auction, five times their estimated sale price. The oil pumped through the pipelines would produce at least 5bn tonnes of CO2 a year if completed, equivalent to the emissions of the US, the world’s second largest polluter. None of our hopes, none of our dreams, none of our plans and expectations can survive the loss of a habitable planet. Standing 6ft 4in and about 200lbs, with a camouflage baseball hat and scraggly eyebrows, Thomas arrived with a mission: make sure Drag Story Hour, the family-friendly reading event where sparkling drag performers read children’s books to kids and families, went off without a hitch. Doug Mastriano, now the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, made the comments in 2019 while discussing the abortion bill he proposed as state senator. the United States’ commitment to stand beside [South Korea] in the face of any threats,” “The chaos that came to a head on January 6 of last year certainly underscored the need for an update.” The storm is expected to intensify in strength as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico and west of Florida’s southern tip on Tuesday night, before heading toward the Tampa Bay region. McConnell made the remarks just before a committee vote on the legislation. The powerful storm is heading directly for Florida’s south-western coast, after striking Cuba with winds of 125mph (205km/h). “We are starting the process of restoring the system.

Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida's southwest coast Wednesday, gaining top winds of 155 mph. Forecasters said the Fort Myers area could be ...

One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast. He boarded the windows of his Tampa home with plywood, laid down sandbags, and with his wife, packed their car with bottled water, flashlights, battery packs for their cellphones and a camp stove before evacuating. And "it will really increase the amount of storm surge." Hotels along the coast either filled up or closed down, and with flights canceled, some tourists planned to join locals at emergency shelters. Ian went from 120 mph to 155 mph in three hours, the second round of rapid intensification in the storm's life cycle. "It's time to hunker down and prepare for the storm," DeSantis said. Damaging winds and rain lashed the state, and forecasters said the heavily populated Fort Myers area could be inundated by a storm surge of up to 18 feet. "With the higher intensity you're going to see more extensive wind damage. "You can't do anything about natural disasters," said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens, seeking a hotel in Orlando, where only tropical-storm force winds were expected. Ron DeSantis said early Wednesday, stressing that people in Ian's path along the coast should rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there. The area is popular with retirees and tourists drawn to pristine white sandy beaches and long barrier islands, which forecasters said could be completely inundated. Ian was centered about 60 miles west-southwest of Naples at 10 a.m., swirling toward the coast at 10 mph.

The storm brings down electricity grid and leaves the entire island without power before barrelling towards Florida.

Only a few people with gasoline-powered generators had access to electricity on the island. Cuba’s electrical grid collapsed late on Tuesday, local officials said, plunging the entire country into darkness shortly after the hurricane ploughed through the western end of the island, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. Hurricane Ian has torn into western Cuba as a Category 3 storm, knocking out power lines in the country of 11.3 million people.

Hurricane Ian is forecast to make landfall Wednesday afternoon on the west coast of Florida as an 'extremely dangerous' storm. Live updates.

It will slam much of the state with [life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2022/09/27/hurricane-ian-impacts-could-felt-weeks-heres-why/10443192002/), the National Hurricane Center said. [WHAT IS STORM SURGE?: ] [Explaining a hurricane's deadliest and most destructive threat](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/18/storm-surge-definition-hurricane-threat/9797051002/) [FEMA readies search and rescue teams] [Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Deanne Criswell says her biggest concern with Hurricane Ian is the expected storm surge and inland flooding from heavy rains as the storm crawls across Florida over the next two days.] [“It's bringing with it a lot of rain and it's going to move slowly, which means people that are in the path, they are going to experience the impacts for a long period of time,” Criswell told CNN on Wednesday morning. Glyn and Christine Williams of London were told to leave their hotel near the beach when evacuations were ordered. Another possible tornado also was reported in Broward County.] [WHAT IS THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SPEED SCALE?] [Breaking down the hurricane category scale](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/19/hurricane-wind-speed-saffir-simpson-scale/9807231002/) [Heavy rains, flooding to spread into Georgia, South Carolina] [Heavy rainfall will spread across the Florida peninsula through Thursday. Disney World theme parks and Sea World in Orlando all closed ahead of the storm. later this week and this weekend.] ["Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flooding is expected across portions of central Florida with considerable flooding in southern Florida, northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina," the service said in an advisory.] [Georgia Gov. A couple from England on vacation in Tampa found themselves faced with riding out the storm at a shelter. [Too late to flee for some] [DeSantis warned the highest risk was along the west coast counties of Collier, Lee, Charlotte and Sarasota. "If you are in any of those counties, it's no longer possible to safely evacuate," DeSantis said. [poweroutage.us](https://poweroutage.us/). "It is going to have major, major impacts in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms of flooding," Gov. [AccuWeather](https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/live-news/ian-strengthens-to-category-4-hurricane-as-it-nears-florida/1252749) forecasters predicted landfall just northwest of Fort Myers, between Don Pedro Island and Boca Grande, around 4 p.m.

Cuba faced damage and power outages Wednesday after Hurricane Ian made landfall as a powerful Category 3 storm. See photos of the aftermath.

[Hurricane Ian nears historic Category 5 status, closes in on Florida](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/28/hurricane-ian-live-updates-tracker-path-forecast/10447576002/) The storm also caused tens of thousands of residents to flee. [ on its devastating path to Florida.](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/28/hurricane-ian-live-updates-tracker-path-forecast/10447576002/)

Two people were killed by the storm, which caused extensive damage and flooding in western Cuba.

The financial misery, along with ongoing political repression, sparked one of the largest protest movements in decades last year. The second was a 43-year-old woman who died in San Luis when one of the walls of her house collapsed. Before the sun set, residents braved wind and rain to search for food and basic supplies, lining up under overhangs to buy a piece of chicken or a bottle of oil.

Computer models show the storm moving at a slower pace. As a result, tropical storm winds are expected to begin Wednesday night and early Thursday morning ...

[University of Florida campus is Gainesville will be closed](https://news.ufl.edu/2022/09/uf-campus-closure/) Wednesday, Sept. The warning includes the Tampa Bay area. advisory of the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Ian has strengthened into a dangerous Category 4 storm, according to the Wednesday, 5 a.m. Computer models show the storm moving at a slower pace. Meanwhile, a hurricane warning has been extended southward from the Anclote River in Pasco County to Chokoloskee, which is south of Naples. As Wednesday progresses, rain chances will increase in North Central Florida. [UF campus operations closure](https://news.ufl.edu/2022/09/uf-campus-closure/) [UF classes canceled Wednesday - Friday](https://news.ufl.edu/2022/09/university-statement-regarding-operations/) [Commonly asked questions regarding UF campus closure](https://news.ufl.edu/2022/09/hurricane-faq/) [Here's how to prepare for hurricane season](https://news.ufl.edu/2022/09/how-to-prepare-for-hurricane-season/) [Pre-storm preparation for students in UF housing](https://housing.ufl.edu/resources/storm-preparation/) [UF/IFAS Disaster Preparation & Recovery](https://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/) We will continue to monitor and update the UF community as Hurricane Ian makes its way over the Florida peninsula. Additionally, the National Hurricane Center expects life-threatening storm surge “along the Florida west coast and the Lower Florida Keys where a storm surge warning is in effect, with the highest risk from Naples to the Sarasota region.” 28 through Friday, Sept. It is expected to move onshore along the coast of Southwest and West Central Florida later this morning and to turn north on Thursday.

Cuban officials said they had begun to restore some power Wednesday after Hurricane Ian knocked out electricity to the entire island.

A hospital in Pinar del Río was damaged. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island's western end, devastating Pinar del Río province, where much of the tobacco used for Cuba's iconic cigars is grown. While state broadcaster Canal Caribe reported two deaths in Pinar del Rio, most other media gave no figures on casualties, saying officials were still calculating the storm's impacts. It was the first time in memory — perhaps ever — that the whole island had lost power. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. The U.S.

Hurricane approaches Florida after passing over Cuba and the Caribbean sea as a powerful tropical storm.

The blackout, he added, was “an exceptional condition – a total of zero” electricity generation. The storm left at least two dead in western Cuba, state-run media reported. Tens of thousands of customers across central and southern Florida had lost power by Wednesday lunchtime. “This is going to be a rough stretch. Operations at the international airport were also halted. “We’ll be there at every step of the way. Authorities warned those who remained would be on their own because conditions were too dangerous for emergency crews to be out. This is a major, major storm,” he added. “There’s some storms that really leave an indelible impact … Overnight, areas of Key West were inundated with water. this is going to be one of those historic storms and it’s going to shape the communities in south-west Florida and have a profound impact on our state,” he said at a morning press conference. [Florida](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/florida) residents lay directly in the path of the deadly storm, which also threatened to bring a storm surge of up to 18ft (5.5 meters) to vulnerable coastal and inland areas.

Millions of people in Florida are bracing for life-threatening storm surges, catastrophic winds and floods as Hurricane Ian approaches its shores.

Please include your name, age and location with any submission. You can also get in touch in the following ways: In the airport, one man said he had not faced the prospect of a hurricane like this in his 43 years of living in the area. [terms & conditions](http://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/terms/)and [privacy policy](http://www.bbc.co.uk/usingthebbc/privacy-policy/) Tornadoes have already been seen in southern Florida, the National Weather Service said. "It's a terrible thing to say, but it's a little better if it [Ian] hits south." The Tampa region is among the most vulnerable places for severe flooding. [@BBC_HaveYourSay](http://twitter.com/BBC_HaveYourSay) [Upload pictures or video](https://www.bbc.co.uk/send/u16904890) This is, in its own way, a human nature trainwreck," Mr Olson said. [@BBC_HaveYourSay](https://www.twitter.com/BBC_HaveYourSay) [@BBC_HaveYourSay](http://twitter.com/BBC_HaveYourSay) [+44 7756 165803](https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=+447756165803)

Such massive storms are fairly rare, and it's even more rare for them to make landfall. NOAA says that for such storms, "catastrophic damage will occur" ...

The Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Oct. [Andrew](https://www.noaa.gov/stories/hurricane-andrew-at-30-where-science-has-taken-us) made landfall in South Miami-Dade County with maximum sustained winds of 165 mph. [Hurricane Camille](https://www.weather.gov/mob/camille), the second-strongest storm on record to come ashore in the continental U.S., had sustained winds of more than 170 mph when it hit Mississippi in the late evening of Aug. The majority of the crop damage — about 90% — was due to the high winds while just 10% is attributed to the intense rainfall." Most manmade structures were destroyed by the hurricane's Category 5 winds, which gusted at times to over 200 mph, and the complete inundation of the islands by a 15-20 ft storm surge," according to [Hurricanes: Science and Society](http://www.hurricanescience.org/history/storms/1930s/LaborDay/), a website run by the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography. [Labor Day Hurricane](https://noaahrd.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/80th-anniversary-of-the-labor-day-hurricane-and-first-hurricane-reconnaissance/) is considered the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall in the U.S., smashing into the Florida Keys on Sept. have all made landfall on the Gulf Coast — three in Florida and one in Mississippi. [says](https://vlab.noaa.gov/web/nws-heritage/-/one-of-four-hurricane-camille): "The impacts of Hurricane Camille were felt across much of the southeast U.S., especially southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama. More than 250 people were killed, many in Virginia due to massive flooding the storm brought to that state. East Coast, "practically all losses from the hurricane were suffered in Florida, with most occurring in the Florida Keys. If its winds increase even a little, before it comes ashore, Ian could become only the fifth massively destructive Category 5 storm on record to make landfall in the continental U.S.

Hurricane Ian may go down as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. as the storm nears Category 5 strength just off the Florida coast ...

Hurricane Michael brought catastrophic storm surge to the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend areas. Joseph Peninsula State Park on Cape San Blas, the storm surge cut through the peninsula, creating two inlets, resulting in portions of the park no longer being accessible by vehicle, according to the NWS. One of the hardest hit locations was from Mexico Beach to Indian Pass where 9 to 14 feet of peak storm surge inundation was observed. "These new inlets truly demonstrate the power of storm surge," NWS wrote. [HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV](https://www.foxweather.com/learn/how-to-watch-fox-weather-on-tv) Roads were blocked, so getting in and out of the destruction zone was hard or impossible. The widespread damage spread well inland as Hurricane Michael remained at hurricane strength into southwest Georgia. Nearly 100% of customers across a large portion of the Florida Panhandle lost power, with some of these outages lasting weeks. – Hurricane Ian may go down as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the U.S. There was no power, no water, looters roamed the neighborhoods and gunfire echoed through the desolation. However, according to the as the storm nears Category 5 strength just off the Florida coast Wednesday.

Rainfall could top more than 18 inches, and storm surges could push as much as 18 feet of water over nearly 100 miles of coast.

Flannery Dziedzic, who lives in Naples, said she has also noticed the winds pick up in her area. Even going to the store yesterday, I actually just kind of had to almost get just regular groceries. Even once the storm is over, DeSantis said it may not be completely safe to go outside. Rainfall near the storm's landfall site could top more than 18 inches, and storm surges could push as much as 18 feet of water over nearly 100 miles of coastline, according to the National Hurricane Center. Candy Powell, an east Orlando resident, has lived in Florida since 2016 and watched the state face hurricanes like Irma, Dorian and Matthew. Hurricane Ian greatly intensified as it neared land, reaching winds of 155 mph and nearing the most dangerous Category 5 classification Wednesday morning. "90% of fatalities in these tropical systems comes from the water. Officials in Florida and nationally are closely tracking the storm's movements. "Water. More than 2.5 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders in Florida, but legally, no residents can be forced to leave their homes. So please hunker down," he said. It's going to get a lot worse very quickly.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in south-west Florida at about 3:05pm Eastern time and was causing “catastrophic storm surge, winds, and flooding”, the National ...

The basic process behind our heavy rain forecast is the transition of purely tropical Hurricane Ian to an extratropical storm that will drift north to around ...

The exact placement of that cutoff cannot be determined yet and is part of the uncertainty in predicting rainfall amounts, as it could sink southward. On the back side of the storm, cooler and drier air will circulate down from the north, generating a cold front. To the north, a sprawling high-pressure area parked over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will keep Ian’s remnants from moving too far or too easily north. As shown in the graphic above, Ian will begin interacting with a stationary front draped across Florida later today, as part of its landfall. This setup favors a prolonged period of rain over the Southeast into parts of the Mid-Atlantic. For the most part, we’re on the cool side of the storm, but that still portends a prolonged soggy forecast.

Residents in Cuba talk of destruction as people in Florida prepare for the arrival of the intensifying storm.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said an estimated 2.5 million people were under evacuation orders in the state and warned that damage was expected across a wide area regardless of where Ian made landfall. The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. “I think we’re ready.” “I spent the hurricane at home with my husband and the dog. Cuban residents described “destruction” and posted images on social media of flooded streets and trees brought down by ferocious winds. “Everything we have is damaged,” she said.

Hurricane Ian delivered an eerie omen to coastal Florida residents Wednesday morning: Its winds pulled massive amounts of water out of Tampa Bay and other ...

Right now, NPR stations all across Florida are serving their community with vital information during this crisis, and more stations are pitching in as the storm moves up the coast. There's much more to come: Ian is predicted to slow down as it nears the shore, increasing rain levels on the coast and far inland. Hurricane Ian's winds are swirling counter-clockwise as it moves northward along the Florida peninsula, so its winds are whipping the water away from the shoreline ahead of the center. But you can imagine that same force is pushing water away from the shoreline," the NHC's Jamie Rhome hurricanes, according to the But experts have repeatedly warned that the storm surge and floodwaters pose a dire threat.

Hurricane Ian will go down as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike Florida as the Category 4 storm made landfall in Cayo Costa, Florida, ...

Hurricane Michael brought catastrophic storm surge to the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend areas. Joseph Peninsula State Park on Cape San Blas, the storm surge cut through the peninsula, creating two inlets, resulting in portions of the park no longer being accessible by vehicle, according to the NWS. One of the hardest hit locations was from Mexico Beach to Indian Pass where 9 to 14 feet of peak storm surge inundation was observed. "These new inlets truly demonstrate the power of storm surge," NWS wrote. Roads were blocked, so getting in and out of the destruction zone was hard or impossible. Nearly 100% of customers across a large portion of the Florida Panhandle lost power, with some of these outages lasting weeks. The widespread damage spread well inland as Hurricane Michael remained at hurricane strength into southwest Georgia. [HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER ON TV](https://www.foxweather.com/learn/how-to-watch-fox-weather-on-tv) There was no power, no water, looters roamed the neighborhoods and gunfire echoed through the desolation. It was hell on Earth in South Dade after the storm. Only three other hurricanes have hit Florida with stronger winds and a fourth has matched Ian's intensity. For the rest of that week, the nights were the worst.

As Hurricane Ian approached southwestern Florida from the Gulf of Mexico, areas north of the center saw water sucked away from the shore.

Hurricane Ian came ashore Wednesday as one of the most powerful storms to menace the United States in decades, just short of the rarest — and strongest ...

[Michael](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/us/hurricane-michael-florida.html), one of the most powerful storms to make landfall on the continental United States, slammed Florida’s Panhandle region in October 2018. [according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration](https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/hurdat/All_U.S._Hurricanes.html). history, [causing about $27 billion in damage](https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/events.pdf), or about $56 billion in 2022 dollars. Andrew also gave rise to the modern-day federal, state and local emergency response system. It packed maximum sustained [winds of 161 miles per hour](https://www.weather.gov/tae/HurricaneMichael2018) and left a 200-mile trail of destruction. A storm reaches that classification on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale when its winds exceed 157 miles per hour.

Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, but just barely. Its wind speeds were at the upper end of ...

more frequently in recent years](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/09/29/record-us-hurricane-landfalls-climate/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_9). [seven safety tips to help you get ready for hurricanes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/05/03/hurricane-safety-prepare-noaa/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_6). And last summer alone, [nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/09/04/climate-disaster-hurricane-ida/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_10). [intensified this fall with conditions prime for storms](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/08/17/hurricane-season-tropical-atlantic/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_1). Read more about [how climate change is fueling severe weather events](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/10/22/climate-curious-disasters-climate-change/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_11). That’s near where [Hurricane Charley](https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/#map=6.29/25.944/-81.126&search=eyJzZWFyY2hTdHJpbmciOiJDSEFSTEVZIDIwMDQiLCJzZWFyY2hUeXBlIjoibmFtZSIsIm1hdGNoIjoiZXhhY3QiLCJvc21JRCI6IjE2MjA1MCIsImNhdGVnb3JpZXMiOlsiSDUiLCJINCIsIkgzIiwiSDIiLCJIMSIsIlRTIiwiVEQiLCJFVCJdLCJ5ZWFycyI6W10sIm1vbnRocyI6W10sImVuc28iOltdLCJwcmVzc3VyZSI6eyJyYW5nZSI6WzAsMTE1MF0sImluY2x1ZGVVbmtub3duUHJlc3N1cmUiOnRydWV9LCJidWZmZXJVbml0IjpbIk1pbGVzIl0sInNvcnRTZWxlY3Rpb24iOnsidmFsdWUiOiJ5ZWFyc19uZXdlc3QiLCJsYWJlbCI6IlllYXIgKE5ld2VzdCkifSwiYXBwbHlUb0FPSSI6ZmFsc2UsImlzU3Rvcm1MYWJlbHNWaXNpYmxlIjp0cnVlfQ==) came ashore in 2004, also as a Category 4. For the seventh year in a row, hurricane officials expect [an above-average season of hurricane activity](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/05/24/noaa-atlantic-hurricane-outlook-2022/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_5). You can see that on the map of the Category 3 storms that the NOAA identifies as having made landfall in Florida. [a bit past 3 p.m.](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1575202655567491072) on Wednesday. The two other hurricanes that made landfall in Florida as Category 4 storms hit the Florida Keys (the string of islands extending from the southern tip of the state) and Miami, not on the state’s western shore. While the numbers are necessarily incomplete — we lacked the sort of measurement systems in 1870 that we have now, for example — it still provides a good sense of how often the United States has been hit by large storms. Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm, but just barely.

The category 4 storm had sustained winds of 150 mph, just shy of category 5 status, before making landfall in Lee County.

Right now, NPR stations all across Florida are serving their community with vital information during this crisis, and more stations are pitching in as the storm moves up the coast. Those who remain in the storm's path need to hunker down in the center of their home and prepare for sustained devastating winds. The category 4 hurricane produced winds of 150 miles per hour and storm surge over 7 feet high in Naples before coming ashore. Storm surge in Lee and Charlotte counties could reach heights of 18 feet. The situation on the ground will likely get worse before it gets better, as high tide isn't until 7:06 p.m. Ian is forecast to continue making its way northeast across Florida.

Hurricane Ian approached Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday as a powerful storm just one rating shy of the highest category designation given to storms in ...

Risk of injury and death, even for those indoors, is very high. The highest designation given to hurricanes with sustained winds exceeding 157 mph (252 kph). The winds are expected to cause "devastating damage" to buildings, including blown roofs, and uproot trees. These major storms have sustained winds of 111-129 mph (178-208 kph). A substantial risk of death is present. Considered "very dangerous," winds are capable of defacing home exteriors, snapping tree branches and causing days-long power outages.

Jacob Davis, a UW doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering, (right) releases a wave-monitoring sensor from a U.S. Navy aircraft on Sept. 26 off ...

[here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dDkXZIGfjzPL6yvV3X0x-dLcPN9qJ-t-?usp=sharing). (Note: Thomson is on a ship in the Arctic and his responses will be delayed) The research was funded by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and managed by the U.S. “The end goal is to improve the forecasts for when and where waves will impact the coasts, including storm surge.” The five instruments developed at the UW are now sending back data that can be viewed on this [map](https://swiftserver.apl.washington.edu/map/). Past deployments used the sensors to study waves in the changing Arctic Ocean and near potential sites for marine turbines. This work was done with the National Oceanographic Partnership Program’s Hurricane Coastal Impacts program with supporting flights by the U.S. The test is one part of a broad effort to improve forecasts for these fast-moving and deadly systems. Data from this instrument developed at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory will be combined with other observations to try and improve hurricane forecasts around the world. The sensors can drift with the waves to gather detailed measurements of waves and currents at the ocean’s surface. Jacob Davis, a UW doctoral student in civil and environmental engineering, (right) releases a wave-monitoring sensor from a U.S. This causes rapid wave evolution that’s not well described by current forecast models,” said

The hurricane made landfall Wednesday afternoon, bringing sustained wind speeds of 140 mph and a risk of "catastrophic" storm surges.

[Forecasters](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?start#contents) put the storm on a northeasterly path across central Florida and toward the Atlantic, with hurricane warnings in effect for Daytona Beach and Cape Canaveral and evacuation orders in place for some low-lying parts of eastern Florida. Petersburg and Fort Myers—have been ordered to [evacuate](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/27/hurricane-ian-evacuation-orders-grow-tampa-st-petersburg-and-fort-myers-areas-targeted/?sh=6e1168c74bb6), while schools, hospitals and two major airports in the Tampa Bay area, as well as the Orlando International Airport, [announced](https://www.fox35orlando.com/weather/some-florida-airports-closing-ahead-of-hurricane-ian) they would temporarily close. [widespread flooding](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/27/in-photos-hurricane-ian-slams-cuba-and-barrels-toward-florida-heres-a-look-at-the-damage/?sh=281739671a4d) and a [total blackout](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/27/cuba-electrical-outage-hurricane-ian-damage/) across the entire island. Hurricane watches [are in place](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/282057.shtml?) for the Atlantic Coast in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and tropical storm watches and warnings extend all the way to the southern edge of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. [curfew](https://www.facebook.com/leecountyflbocc/posts/pfbid0Vphgmf1CDcdRdD8xGfCmmZkVtBPUs8uqSCKLhBZutNWyyysM6TfCNjqK9WvF6SoNl?__cft__[0]=AZWamd4QbAiivRLaJwvRgfkIBGh6VRrPmC4KqVQf0QV_Opd63RTRATlpfknWhe0vMHoLYFeo2l1oD4lqIfvJOO8gJEaiLhVSb_zk-51f2WGxJPe1e0CifXnJSd0e0FniLJZSJTyo1UbfXfsgi7cCfchKm0HsbUQtAJ5h4OBEdcwZcQ&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R) that started at 6 p.m. Heavy rainfall is expected across the peninsula through Thursday, likely to cause “life-threatening catastrophic flooding,” according to the [NHC](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?start#contents). Some Florida residents who defied evacuation orders and remained in their homes have called 911, but DeSantis says first responders will likely wait until conditions become less dangerous. Ron DeSantis said the state has received “some reports of structural damage” in Lee and Charlotte counties. [‘Rapidly Intensifying’: Hurricane Ian Could Strengthen To Category 5 Storm As It Approaches Florida](https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/09/28/hurricane-ian-25-million-ordered-to-evacuate-and-thousands-without-power-as-florida-braces-for-storm/?sh=65af88b47727) (Forbes) [Near Cat 5 Hurricane Ian with 155 mph winds to strike Florida today, carve way up to Orlando](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/weather/hurricane/os-ne-huricane-ian-florida-wednesday-20220928-mihffhzohfbehpaw2oeb5y3cqe-story.html) (Orlando Sentinel) [7 Reasons Hurricane Ian Is Particularly Dangerous](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2022/09/28/7-reasons-hurricane-ian-is-particularly-dangerous/?sh=7e2305972e21) (Forbes) [In Photos: Hurricane Ian Slams Cuba And Barrels Toward Florida—Here’s A Look At The Damage](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2022/09/27/in-photos-hurricane-ian-slams-cuba-and-barrels-toward-florida-heres-a-look-at-the-damage/?sh=281739671a4d) (Forbes) [advised](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV3FCLopFoc) residents who ignored evacuation orders not to go outside, as the storm brings a 12-18-foot storm surge around Charlotte Harbor, saying it’s “only going to get worse”—the majority of the Gulf Coast, as well as parts of northeast Florida and the Georgia coast are under a storm surge warning. [hit the barrier island](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1575202655567491072?s=20&t=QD0d3MFwbqbhHsXsToCWTg) of Cayo Costa, the [National Hurricane Center](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1575224269478719489?s=20&t=DFLZiGMfDYBcl6rAp0QnyA) said. [says](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/282057.shtml?) “catastrophic” storm surges, flash flooding and [extreme wind](https://twitter.com/NWSTampaBay/status/1575235739914145792) are expected across much of Florida’s Gulf Coast, and Florida Gov.

Hurricane Ian winds down to Category 2 inland as it heads to Orlando With hazardous 150 mph gusts and flooding cities all down the Gulf Coast, Hurrica.

Border Patrol said this Wednesday that 23 people went missing just hours before Hurricane Ian made landfall in the state. Also according to NOAA, Hurricane Charley was one of four hurricanes that formed in under six weeks in the 2004 hurricane season. Hurricane Ian has triggered extreme winds and heavy rain in Englewood, Florida. The passengers were migrants sailing in a boat. According to PowerOutage.us, over 470,000 customers are currently without power in Florida due to Hurricane Ian approaching and making a landfall in the next few hours. Hurricane Ian keeps wreaking havoc in Florida and Naples can be seen flooding as some cars are being dragged by the current and are on the verge of being swallowed by the water. People in Florida continue to use their social media accounts to post updates of Hurricane Ian making its landfall in the state. Video has surfaced showing a yacht roaming free through the streets of Fort Myers, Florida due to water levels increasing with the landfall of Hurricane Ian in the state. Target and Walmart announced that they're closing their locations in Florida that are in the immediate path of Hurricane Ian, as their released statements show. Due to Hurricane Ian's landfall in Florida, some houses in Naples are being reported in Naples as moving through the city streets, or at least what appears to be the roof of one. The images are heartbreaking online, as more parts of Florida continue to be flooded and cars and properties continue to sustain damage due to Hurricane Ian's passage. Since Hurricane Michael destroyed the Florida Panhandle in 2018, Ian is the storm with the highest sustained winds to make landfall in Florida.

Both hurricanes caused large storm surges — about 10 feet of water — near Naples and Fort Myers with strong onshore winds, while the water got “sucked” out of ...

Because of the extreme wind, rain, and ocean waves in hurricanes, in the past, we have not be able to get data inside the hurricane at the surface where hurricanes get energy to fuel themselves. We need to advance multidisciplinary research, technologies and training of new generation of scientists to take on this grand challenge. We also collect observations in the atmosphere, ocean, and at the air-sea interface for large ocean waves. Saildrones were able to collect valuable data in Hurricane Sam for the first time in 2021, and repeated its success in Hurricane Fiona in 2022. In fact, one of the most costly events, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, occurred during a year when we had one of the lowest number of storms. [Shuyi Chen](https://environment.uw.edu/faculty/shuyi-chen/), a UW professor of atmospheric sciences, was traveling to a conference in Boston as Hurricane Ian approached the Gulf of Mexico.