Florida residents are bracing for impact as Hurricane Ian approaches landfall in the Sunshine State. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns that the storm is expected to produce life-threatening winds and flooding across the peninsula as watchers suggest it has risen to a Category 4 hurricane and is knocking on the door of Category 5. At least two and a half million residents have evacuated their homes in anticipation of the storm reaching land, which is expected later in the day.
The center of Hurricane Ian was about 65 miles west-southwest of Naples and about 80 miles south-southwest of Punta Gorda, according to a 6:35 a.m. update from the NHC. The Tampa Bay Times reports that “the latest forecast track has the Category 4 storm coming ashore between Fort Myers and Sarasota County early this afternoon. Tampa Bay remains under threat of hurricane force winds and heavy rain likely to cause flash flooding and power outages.” Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco Counties have all ordered mandatory evacuations.
Governor Ron DeSantis gave an early morning update at 7:30 EST. He called for residents who had not yet evacuated to stay in their homes and get ready, and warned those on the road to either get under cover or head to one of the more than 200 shelters that the state has set up in the southern regions. He then noted the number of preparations that his state has made in the approach of the storm:
- Up to 5,000 Florida National Guard activated;
- More than 2,000 guardsmen from neighboring states;
- Vehicles for land, air, and water support on standby.
The governor also said that over 30,000 linemen were ready and waiting for the storm to pass so they could begin connecting power and utilities. He thanked the 26 states that had so far sent support. DeSantis said, “it’s going to be a rough stretch,” but noted that authorities expect the storm to have passed by Thursday.
DeSantis Prepares
(Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)
Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis has pulled back entirely on electioneering to deal with the approaching impact. Earlier in the week, he declared a state of emergency, mobilized the national guard, and readied the Emergency Operations Center.
Speaking on Tuesday evening, he said, “My view on all this is like you’ve got people’s lives at stake, you’ve got their property at stake, and we don’t have time for pettiness … We’ve gotta work together to make sure we’re doing the best job for them.” DeSantis’ gubernatorial opponent Charlie Crist has temporarily pulled his advertising campaign and returned to his home in Pinellas County.
It is being reported that President Biden and DeSantis spoke on Tuesday to coordinate operations.
Hurricane Ian is the first Category 4 or above storm to hit Florida since 2018, which saw Hurricane Michael listed as a Category 5 storm when it made landfall. In 2017, Hurricane Irma was also Category 4. Ian’s winds have been estimated at around 150 miles per hour; any winds over 75 mph are capable of dealing damage to even well-built homes.
