Chase storm hits Cuba, watch Florida
Powerful and intensifying Hurricane Ian roared across Cuba early Tuesday, a Category 3 storm battering the island with 125 mph winds and torrential rain – and targeting Florida.
Hundreds of thousands of Floridians faced mandatory evacuation orders as the National Hurricane Center extended the hurricane warning to more than 150 miles of the state’s Gulf Coast. Tampa and St. Petersburg could be hit directly by a major hurricane for the first time in a century.
Along with howling winds, parts of central Florida could see 12 to 16 inches of rain with 2 feet possible in isolated areas. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday there was “historic” storm surge and potential for flooding.
“In some areas there will be catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surges,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday. “Because of the size of the storm, there are a lot of waves. The Gulf is going to be very angry as this happens.”
WHAT IS STORM SURGE? Explaining the Deadliest and Most Destructive Threat of a Hurricane
Ian’s storm surge, winds blow over Cuba
Ian made landfall on the western tip of Cuba, where officials set up shelters, rushed emergency personnel and worked to protect crops in Cuba’s tobacco-growing region.
“Significant wind and storm surge impacts (are occurring) over Cuba,” said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist and meteorologist in charge of warning coordination at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
The storm was expected to roll off Cuba and strengthen into a Category 4 storm over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Winds from the storm could reach 140 mph before reaching Florida as early as Wednesday.
Hurricane Ian tracking
Ian will slow over the Gulf, becoming wider and stronger, “which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west coast of Florida,” the center said. hurricanes.
Ian was expected to emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday and Wednesday evening. The storm is expected to slow during this time, the National Hurricane Center warned in an advisory.
“This would likely prolong the effects of storm surges, wind, and precipitation along affected portions of Florida’s west coast,” the advisory said.
RAPID INTENSIFICATION:What does that mean?
LANDING IN CUBA:Hurricane Ian is getting stronger
Tampa is gearing up for the hit; ongoing evacuations
A surge of up to 10 feet of seawater and 12 to 16 inches of rain was forecast for the Tampa Bay area, with up to 24 inches in isolated areas – enough water to inundate coastal communities. Evacuations were underway and up to 300,000 people could flee from Hillsborough County alone.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said she and local officials in her area fear “a near-worst-case scenario” following the National Hurricane Center’s latest report.
“We could handle the wind if it passed quickly, but … we’re already saturated in the Tampa Bay area,” Castor told CNN. “And we have a unique geographical location, the bay being very shallow.”
Heavy rains and floods forecast for southeast
Heavy rain is expected to affect the southeast on Friday and Saturday, the weather service said. “Wide and extensive” flash and urban flooding is expected mid to late this week in central and northern Florida, southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina. Significant and prolonged riverine flooding is expected from central to northern Florida.
Limited flash and riverine flooding is expected over parts of the southeast through the middle of the mid-Atlantic week.
WHAT IS STORM SURGE? :It is often the deadliest and most destructive threat of a hurricane
Florida National Guard called up for duty
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who declared a statewide state of emergency, said 5,000 members of the Florida National Guard were called to duty and another 2,000 were sent to Florida from neighboring states. The state is working to load 360 trailers with more than 2 million meals and more than 1 million gallons of water to prepare for distribution. Urban search and rescue teams are ready to mobilize if needed, DeSantis said.
“There’s going to be a power outage, so plan for that,” DeSantis said. “The impacts are going to be very significant.”
Hurricane categories, explained:Hurricane Saffir-Simpson Wind Speed Scale Decomposition
What is “rapid scaling up”?
“Rapid intensification” is a process in which a storm undergoes accelerated growth: the phenomenon is generally defined as a tropical cyclone (whether a tropical storm or a hurricane) intensifying from at least 35 mph in 24 hours. Ian should fit that definition. Winds from the storm were expected to approach 140 mph on Tuesday evening.
Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical storm or hurricane encounters an “extremely favorable environment,” said Phil Klotzbach, a hurricane researcher at Colorado State University. This typically includes very warm water, low vertical wind shear, and high levels of mid-level humidity. Of the nine hurricanes with winds of 150 mph or more that have hit the continental United States in 103 years, all but one have seen the burst of strength and power known as rapid intensification.
Category 4 storms can cause ‘catastrophic’ damage
If the storm hits as a Category 4 hurricane, it could cause “catastrophic” damage, and power outages could last for weeks or months, according to the National Weather Service’s description of such strong storms. Areas can be uninhabitable for weeks or months, depending on the weather service.
“Even if you’re not necessarily in the eye of the storm’s path, there will be fairly broad impacts across the state,” DeSantis warned.
Contributor: Celina Tebor, Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
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