Havana: Forecasters say Tropical Storm Ian has strengthened into a hurricane as it moves closer to Cuba in the hopes of making it to Florida in the coming days. Ian was forecast to intensify rapidly and become a major storm as of late Monday evening.
Officials in Cuba suspended classes in Pinar del Río province and said they would begin evacuations on Monday as Ian was forecast to strengthen before reaching the western part of the island on its way to Florida.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Grand Cayman and the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Río and Artemisa. The US National Hurricane Center said Ian should arrive in the far-western part of Cuba late Monday or early Tuesday, approaching the country’s most famous tobacco farms. It could become a major hurricane before likely making landfall in Florida in the middle of the week, possibly along the state’s west coast or panhandle.
Cuba’s state-run media organization Granma said officials would begin evacuating people from vulnerable areas in the far western province of Pinar del Río early Monday. Classes there have been suspended.
At 5 a.m. EDT on Monday, according to the center, Ian was moving to the northwest at 13 mph (20 kph), about 90 miles (150 kph) southwest of Grand Cayman. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph).
Meanwhile, Florida residents were keeping a watchful eye on Ian as it thundered ominously through the Caribbean on its way to the state.
Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across Florida and urged residents to prepare for a hurricane with heavy rain, high winds and rising seas lashing large areas of the state.
While forecasters are still unsure of where Ian could make landfall, current models are projecting it toward Florida’s west coast or panhandle regions, he said.
“We will continue to monitor the track of this storm. But it’s really important to emphasize the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” DeSantis said in a news conference on Sunday, “even if you’re not necessarily right in the eye of the storm’s path. So, it’s going to be pretty state-wide impact. ,
Flash and urban flooding are possible in the Florida Keys and Florida Peninsula through midweek, and then heavy rainfall was possible for northern Florida, the Florida Panhandle and the southeastern United States later this week.
The agency monitored a tropical storm over the lower Florida Keys on Sunday evening and advised Floridians to plan for the storm and monitor updates for the storm’s evolving path.
President Joe Biden also declared an emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance to protect lives and property. The president postponed his scheduled trip to Florida on September 27 because of the storm.
John Kangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based center, said in an interview on Sunday that it is unclear if Ian will hit Florida hardest. He said residents should start preparing for possible power outages, including gathering supplies.
“It’s hard to say stay up, but that’s the right message right now,” Kangialosi said, “but for those in Florida, it’s still time to prepare. I’m still asking you to close your shutters or something like that.” Not asking for, but there’s still time to get your supplies.”
Local media in Florida have reported consumers rushing over water, generators and other supplies in some areas where residents stocked goods before the storm.