(Bloomberg) — Storm Ian became a hurricane early Monday as it churned through the Caribbean, bringing the threat of flooding to parts of Cuba and tornadoes to southern Florida in the coming days.
(Bloomberg) — Storm Ian became a hurricane early Monday as it churned through the Caribbean, bringing the threat of flooding to parts of Cuba and tornadoes to southern Florida in the coming days.
The hurricane was about 315 miles (507 kilometers) southeast of the western tip of Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center said in an advisory at 5 a.m. Eastern time. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.
A hurricane watch is now in effect along the west coast of Florida, including Tampa Bay. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Grand Cayman and parts of Cuba.
Ian’s center is set to pass near the Cayman Islands on Monday and then overnight near western Cuba, where the storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 14 feet above normal, the NHC said. Rains could produce flash flooding and mudslides in parts of Cuba.
The hurricane will likely move west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday and approach the west coast of the state on Wednesday. Some tornadoes are possible late Monday and Tuesday across the Keys and into southern Florida. Heavy rain is expected to hit the north, including parts of the Panhandle, toward the weekend.
The path of the storm could cause travel delays, with some airlines warning customers flights could be canceled as the system moves across the Gulf of Mexico into the southern US. A direct strike on Tampa from a major hurricane would push a wall of water into Tampa Bay, flooding the city and its suburbs and causing as much as $30 billion in losses and damage, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research.
Track Ian’s latest path
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida on Saturday, freeing federal disaster aid to the state. He also postponed a trip to Florida scheduled for Tuesday that included a Democratic National Committee rally in Orlando. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency across all of Florida and warned residents to prepare.
(Updates throughout with latest advisory.)
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