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The hurricane Ianwho left Cuba this Tuesday after causing significant damage in the west of the island, it strengthened in contact with the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and now its winds reach 120 miles per hour (195 km/h) and may increase even more. The fourth hurricane of this season in the Atlantic is located about 85 miles (140 km) south-southwest of Dry Tortugas Cay, an island territory of Floridaand about 265 miles (430 km) south of Sarasota, on the west coast of that state.
SEE HERE THE PATH OF HURRICANE IAN:
The translation speed is maintained at 10 miles per hour (17 km/h) and it moves north.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States forecast a turn to the north-northeast with a reduction in forward speed tonight and Wednesday.
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On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today, pass west of the Florida Keys tonight, and approach the west coast of Florida. Florida within the hurricane warning area on Wednesday.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts and it is expected to continue to intensify into “an extremely dangerous intense hurricane” as it approaches Florida’s west coast.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds outward up to 140 miles (220 km).
warnings and surveillance NHC spread to different areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolinawhere Ian or what is left of him will transit to the Atlantic after passing through Florida.
Declared in emergency Florida getting ready to meet him hurricane Ian and is expected to reach the category of major hurricane before hitting the central part of the southern state’s west coast this week. If the forecasts are true, Ian’s winds will reach a category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson scale on Wednesday when it is over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, after having impacted in Cuba.
On Thursday, with category 3 winds, it will be hitting Tampa Bay and on Friday, with category 1, it will make landfall further north of Florida.
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The message from the authorities to Floridians is clear: that the hurricane does not surprise them without having prepared.
“We know that we are going to have a great impact in the state,” said on Monday the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantiswho added that many people on the route that could follow Ian they will likely lose power, so be prepared.
In this regard, the electricity supply company FPL announced that it had mobilized a force of more than 13,000 workers to restore power in the event of outages due to the hurricane, while Duke Energy, without giving figures, said it had done the same in order to “restore the energy as quickly and safely as possible.
For its part, The federal government assured this Monday in a statement that the response activities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “are already underway.”
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According to meteorologists National Hurricane Center (NHC)the possible effects of Ian on Florida They are a rise in sea level due to storm surges, which means seawater entering the land, strong winds, which can damage infrastructure and buildings, and heavy rains, which can cause flooding.
The NHC warned in a bulletin released this afternoon ET that storm surges can raise sea levels 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 meters) in the area of Tampawhich will be the one that suffers the most from this effect of Ian’s passage.
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More than 3.1 million people reside in Tampa Bay.
The media of that city informed this Monday of the best routes for those who decide to leave their places of residence while Ian is near the area and what to take with them.
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Meanwhile, the authorities gave the usual advice to protect homes and businesses and how not to put life at risk, and announced the places to distribute sandbags to prevent water from entering buildings.
Numerous people went to supermarkets, hardware stores and gas stations to stock up on what they needed for this emergency situation, but found that they no longer had what they were looking for.
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EVACUATIONS, SHELTERS AND NATIONAL GUARDS
Authorities in Florida’s west coast counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for residents in coastal and low-lying areas, and recommended voluntary evacuation elsewhere.
They also announced the opening of shelters and the closure of schools and public buildings.
In some areas, highway tolls are not charged to facilitate evacuations.
The mayor of TampaJane Castor, announced that the private taxi company Uber already offers free services to people who go to the 49 authorized shelters.
Urban buses will also take them to shelters for free and there will be 19 recreation centers where parents will be able to work remotely while their children are entertained.
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In his press conference on Monday, DeSantis said that 5,000 members of the Florida National Guard have already been “activated”, along with another 2,000 from the states of Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina to help Florida in the recovery phase. .
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urged Floridians to “have your hurricane plans ready” and to pay attention to “forecast updates, guidance issued by your local officials, and follow orders.” evacuation or evacuation premises.
FEMA is sending supplies and personnel to the states of Florida and Alabama, including 3.5 million liters of water and 3.6 million food rations.
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President Joseph Biden, who called off a planned visit to Florida for tomorrow, approved DeSantis’ request for an emergency declaration last Saturday.
Ian, the fourth hurricane of 2022, will not only hit the west coast of Florida, but also the Florida Keys. The southwest and southeast of the state will feel rain from their outer bands, according to the NHC. The last major hurricane to hit Florida was Michael in 2018. Michael made landfall in Mexico Beach (northwest of the state) on October 10, 2018 with winds of 160 miles per hour (more than 250 km/h) and caused the level of the sea rose up to 4.2 meters.