Florida on alert for Hurricane Ian

Florida is already on alert for Hurricane Ian, which threatens to bring strong winds and dangerous storms to the state after passing through Cuba.

There is “greater than normal” uncertainty about Ian’s path and intensity, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), which warns of potential impacts along much of Florida’s west coast.

So far, it’s expected to arrive on Cuba’s west coast around 2 pm on Tuesday, Miami time. After passing through the Caribbean nation, the storm will continue its path towards the United States, and operations are underway to weather its passage.

Governor Ron DeSantis told a news conference on Sunday that there are two models for predicting Ian’s future: one project that hits land in the Tampa Bay area, while another points to northeast Florida (or the Panhandle).

Mandatory evacuations have already been ordered in Tampa and the closure of educational centers has been set for upcoming arrivals.

There is no consensus among forecasts on whether the arrival in the United States would be on Thursday or Friday. Meteorologists expect the hurricane to reach Category 4 in the Gulf of Mexico and weaken before hitting Florida.

DeSantis activated the National Guard on Sunday, stating that while the storm’s path is still uncertain, the impacts will be widely felt across the state. The weekend also saw state and federal disaster declarations.

“We will continue to monitor the path of this storm, but it is really important to highlight the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” the governor said, warning residents that even if the storm weakens before it makes landfall, “it would still have significant impacts. ”

Expected impacts include heavy rain and winds, flooding, storms and even isolated tornadoes, according to DeSantis.