“Life-threatening” Hurricane Ian is 55 miles off the coast of Florida, and has reached Category Four with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, the National Hurricane Center announced Wednesday morning, advising all residents in the path of the storm to take emergency measures.
"Life-threatening storm surge is increasingly likely along the Florida west coast where a storm surge warning is in effect, with the highest risk from Naples to the Sarasota region," the hurricane center wrote late Tuesday. "Residents in these areas should listen to advice given by local officials and follow any evacuation orders for your area."
Governor Ron DeSantis gave a press conference early Wednesday, warning Floridians that the hurricane had moved south of Tampa, and is predicted to strike near the Sarasota area Wednesday night.
“It’s going to produce a major amount of rain. It is going to produce major, major flooding,” DeSantis warned, adding that electricity is likely to go out, and that once the storm makes landfall, it will slow down and drench areas with massive amounts of rain.
There are 2.5 million people that are under an emergency order in Florida, 56 school districts have announced closures, and 5,000 National Guard members are ready to take action, he said.
“This is going to be a nasty, nasty, day,” DeSantis warned.
The Florida governor also spoke to President Joe Biden on the phone Tuesday, saying it’s important to “work together” despite party line. The president was scrutinized for apparently delaying the phone call with DeSantis, choosing to talk with Florida mayors first.
Comments
Post a Comment