Hurricane Ian has torn into western Cuba as a major hurricane, with nothing to stop it from intensifying into a Category 4 storm before it hits Florida.
The hurricane is due to crash ashore in Florida tomorrow (Wednesday 28 September), and officials have ordered 2.5 million people to evacuate before then. Ian made landfall in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, where officials set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region.
The US National Hurricane Centre said “significant wind and storm surge impacts” were occurring on Tuesday in western Cuba, with top winds of 125mph and as much as 14ft of storm surge predicted along the coast. Current forecasts suggest the hurricane will strengthen over the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Top winds of 140mph are expected as it approaches the Florida’s south-west coast. Tropical storm-force winds have been forecast across the southern peninsula late on Tuesday, reaching hurricane force on Wednesday morning.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis said an estimated 2.5 million people were under evacuation orders. He cautioned that damage is expected across a wide area regardless of where Ian makes landfall. He urged people to prepare for power outages, and to get out of its way.
“When you have 5ft to 10ft of storm surge, that is not something you want to be a part of,” he said. “And Mother Nature is a very fearsome adversary.”
While Ian’s centre passed over western Cuba, with tropical storm force winds extending outward 115 miles, Cuba’s capital was getting rain and strong gusts. Havana’s residents openly worried about flooding ahead of the storm, with workers unclogging storm drains and fishermen taking their boats out of the water.
Ian’s forward movement is expected to slow over the Gulf, enabling the hurricane to grow wider and stronger before it brings punishing wind and water to Florida’s west coast. Forecasters said the surge of ocean water could reach 10ft if it peaks at high tide. Rainfall could total 16in with as much as 24in in isolated areas.
President Joe Biden also declared an emergency, authorising the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to co-ordinate disaster relief and provide assistance to protect lives and property.
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