Hurricane Ian has been upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane with winds raging at 125 mph as the storm made landfall in Cuba at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Storm preparations were in full swing in Florida on Monday with Hurricane Ian on the horizon as officials announced widespread school closures and flight cancellations, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved their practice to Miami.
Ian is expected to pass west of the Florida Keys later Tuesday before heading toward the Gulf Coast of Florida between Wednesday and Thursday.
Traffic also came to a standstill on major highways in the Sunshine State as more than 300,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate ahead of Ian’s arrival.
Ian will not linger over Cuba for long but will slow down and strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall along the west coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center told the Associated Press.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for all of Florida ahead of Ian making landfall later in the week. The storm could grow into a Category 4 hurricane, with 140-mph winds, by late Tuesday above the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to bring coastal flooding, heavy rain and high winds to the Sunshine State.
The White House released a statement that President Biden has also declared a state of emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide assistance and relief for Floridians who will be affected by the storm.
Tampa is expected to be one of the hardest-hit areas.
Tampa International Airport will shut down and suspend all flights beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, which will allow staff to prepare the airfield and secure equipment ahead of the storm.
Residents of Tampa and the larger Hillsborough County as well as Pinellas, Sarasota, Charlotte and Hernando counties were under mandatory evacuation orders.
A man and woman take free sandbags to their car at an Orange County park in preparation for Hurricane Ian on Sept. 26, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. AP
Waves kick up under a dark sky along the shore of Batabano, Cuba, Monday evening, prior to Ian’s landfall. APFloridians fleeing the city created a traffic jam on Interstate 4 heading west out of Tampa, with live video showing cars’ brake lights illuminating the sky at 10 p.m. in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
In Orlando, Walt Disney World has shuttered several resorts in anticipation of the storm, WESH reported.
Hurricane Ian passes over western Cuba. APAmong the closed areas were Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which will remain closed until Friday.
Schools in 24 counties have announced closures for several days, while college classes at Florida State University, the University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida are canceled.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved their practice from Tampa to Miami ahead of the storm, though it’s unknown if the NFL team will reschedule or relocate the Buccaneers game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
Statewide, about 5,000 Florida National Guard members are ready to jump into action as well as another 2,000 troops coming from Tennessee and Georgia.
