Evacuations are underway in Florida as Hurricane Ian moves in. Hurricane Ian — now a Category 3 hurricane — is expected to grow to a Category 4 by Tuesday afternoon, before making landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Wednesday. Thousands across the state are under mandatory evacuation orders.
Since leaving Cuba, the storm’s track has moved slightly east — dangerous hurricane weather is still expected along the west coast. Threats include flooding, hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, power outages, and storm surges. Storm surges south of Tampa Bay in Sarasota are now expected to reach up to 12 feet.
According to Currently’s Hurricane expert, Glenn Schwartz, with the hurricane’s new path, there is a smaller chance of the storm weakening before landfall. This will cause the storm to make landfall faster than previously expected.
Already, Ian has caused rain, flooding, high gust winds, and severe storms. The worst weather is expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
Once making landfall, the slow-moving storm will continue to cause widespread flooding and damage in the U.S. throughout the weekend.
From now until the threat of Hurricane Ian is over, Glenn Schwartz will publish his Hurricane newsletter — Currently in the Atlantic — twice a day, subscribe for in-depth forecasts.
