(CNN Spanish) — Florida is already on alert for Hurricane Ian, which threatens to bring strong winds and dangerous storm surges to the state after passing through Cuba.
There is “greater than usual” uncertainty about Ian’s path and intensity, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), which warns of possible impacts along much of the west coast of Florida.
So far, it is expected to make landfall on the west coast of Cuba around 2 pm Tuesday Miami time. After passing through the Caribbean nation, the storm will continue its way to the United States, where operations are already underway to deal with its passage.
Gov. Ron DeSantis told a news conference Sunday that there are two forecast models for Hurricane Ian: one projects it will make landfall in the Tampa Bay region, while another points to northeast Florida (the Panhandle).
(Mandatory evacuations have already been arranged in Tampa and the closure of educational centers has been defined for the next arrivals)
⚠️ EVACUATION ZONES ⚠️
Save this printable evacuation zones map for a quick reference.
To look up your address and find your evacuation zone/route, visit @Hillboroughfl’s website at: https://t.co/xQD6U59GMm
Please note: the website is experiencing high traffic. Please be patient. pic.twitter.com/ziPCZm6V3M— City of Tampa (@CityofTampa) September 26, 2022
This Sunday there was still no consensus among the predictions about whether the landfall in the United States would be on Thursday or Friday. Forecasters do expect it to reach Category 4 in the Gulf of Mexico and weaken before reaching Florida.
DeSantis activated the National Guard on Sunday, stating that while the storm’s path is still uncertain, impacts will be widely felt throughout the state. Over the weekend there were also state and federal disaster declarations.
“We’re going to continue to monitor the path of this storm, but it’s really important to highlight the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” the governor said, warning residents that even if the storm weakens before making landfall, “it would still have significant impacts.” “.
Expected impacts include heavy rains and winds, flash flooding, storm surge and even isolated tornadoes, according to DeSantis.