Hurricane Ian tore into western Cuba on Tuesday as a major hurricane, with nothing to stop it from intensifying into a catastrophic Category 4 storm before it hits Florida.
Officials in Florida ordered 2.5 million people to evacuate before it crashes ashore Wednesday, reports AP.
According to the US National Hurricane Center, Ian made landfall at 4:30 am Tuesday in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, where officials set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region.
It said, “Significant wind and storm surge impacts” were occurring Tuesday morning in western Cuba. Ian’s sustained top winds were 125 mph (205 kmh) and as much as 14 feet (4.3 meters) of storm surge was predicted along Cuba’s coast.
Ian was forecast to strengthen even more over warm Gulf of Mexico waters, reaching top winds of 140 mph (225 kmh) as it approaches the Florida’s southwest coast. Tropical storm-force winds were expected across the southern peninsula late Tuesday, reaching hurricane force Wednesday morning.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said an estimated 2.5 million people were under evacuation orders.
He cautioned that damage is expected across a wide area regardless of where Ian makes landfall. He urged people to prepare for power outages, and to get out of its way.
The hurricane center expanded its hurricane warning to include Bonita Beach north through Tampa Bay to the Anclote River.
Fort Myers is in the hurricane zone, and Tampa and St. Petersburg could get their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
