Watch Florida prepare for the dangerous Cat 4 storm

Hurricane Ian continues to strengthen off the coast of Florida as the state’s coastal communities brace for storm surge and high winds as they approach landfall.

Ian was upgraded to a Category 2 storm Monday night after reaching maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, said Jamie Rhome, executive director of the National Hurricane Center. in update. The hurricane is expected to continue to gain strength before hitting Florida’s west coast midweek, which will be closed as residents move to larger floors as Gov. Ron DeSantis issues an emergency order to the state .

Roma said in the substitution that Ian continued to strengthen as it moved away from the coast of Cuba and headed north toward Florida. The area from Anclote River to Englewood, along with Tampa, is currently under a hurricane warning. Various areas south of Anclote, such as Tampa and Flamingo, were also warned of storm surges when water was pushed inland again by the storm. In Tampa, waves could be as high as 10 feet, he said.

“This alert might also trigger your phone to show off, so you might have received two notifications,” Rhome said. “That’s for a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning. That’s why we’re trying to spread information about storm surges. A major storm surge event is feasible for parts of Florida’s west coast.”

Central Ian, about 250 kilometers southeast of the coast of Cuba, is expected to become a major hurricane late at night or early Tuesday, the National Hurricane Heart said on Monday. In line with the middle, Ian is expected to arrive on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday or Thursday.

AccuWeather predicted Ian would improve in depth and grow into a Category 4 hurricane by midweek, capable of causing catastrophic damage after reaching winds of 156 mph.

Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, has issued a mandatory evacuation order parts of the city along the coastline.

Tampa Mayor Jane Custer Say AccuWeather said the evacuation order was issued on Monday and may also order residents in different parts of town to leave. She also said the town is handing out sandbags to residents and draining stormwater basins, while reaching out to hospitals, nursing facilities and other facilities that house vulnerable residents.

Castor added that Mother Nature has always been within the “pillars of success.”

“And we don’t want to mess that up,” she said.

Meanwhile, live cameras here show how the Florida community is reacting.

napping waterfront

Fort Myers

Clearwater Waterfront

st george i.