Hurricane Ian

Much of the state is at risk of heavy rainfall, and the coast could see devastating storm surge, particularly around Tampa Bay.

Residents were encouraged to [check their evacuation zones](https://www.floridadisaster.org/knowyourzone/) and [identify the closest shelters](https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/shelters/) before the storm arrives. [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com) under a Creative Commons license. Residents across Florida need to prepare for the risk of heavy rain, flash flooding, storm surge, isolated tornadoes and strong winds. If the storm is large enough, it could even generate storm surge on the eastern side of the Florida Peninsula, like Irma did along portions of northeast Florida. [see some storm surge and coastal flooding](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/102341.shtml?peakSurge#contents), especially as the storm nears land. The part of the storm east of the center of circulation generally has more cloud cover and more rain. The Tampa area forecast as of Tuesday, was for up to 10 feet of storm surge that could be pushed into Tampa Bay. But as Florida saw with Andrew, wind damage can be catastrophic in these smaller systems. Up to 3 feet of storm surge was expected for the Florida Keys and South Florida, but these amounts could also be higher, especially as Ian strengthens. Several areas, including around Tampa Bay, were under [evacuation orders](https://www.tampabay.com/hurricane/2022/09/26/hillsborough-orders-300000-evacuate/). Since land surrounds the Gulf of Mexico, there is nowhere for this water to go but inland. But the scale doesn’t take water risk into account, and flooding and storm surge are both major risks from Ian.

Florida's vulnerable Tampa Bay area could be struck directly for the first time in a century.

In the airport, one man said he had not faced the prospect of a storm like this in his 43 years of living in the area. On one flight to Tampa on Tuesday, returning residents discussed the approaching storm. "This is not a drill," Mayor Castor said. If hit directly, the region may be "unrecognisable" in the next couple of days, Mr Salna told the BBC. This is, in its own way, a human nature trainwreck," said Richard Olson, director of the extreme events institute at Florida International University (FIU). Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor said on Tuesday that the city would also be implementing a curfew for remaining residents.

HAVANA: Hurricane Ian slammed into western Cuba on Tuesday (Sep 27), forcing evacuations, cutting power to nearly 1 million people and tearing roofs off ...

"I wasn't particularly scared until I saw the storm track this morning," she said. Melissa Wolcott Martino, 78, a retired magazine editor in St. Early in the morning, street vendors were peddling avocado, and lines for chicken - an everyday phenomenon in Cuba - already stretched for blocks. Pinar del Rio Province is a lightly populated region but a top producer of farm crops and tobacco. The hurricane hits Cuba at a time of dire economic crisis. "We almost lost the roof off our house," Suarez told Reuters.

Ian threatens to bring a deadly storm surge and more than 30cm of rain to some areas. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The company will institute a "targeted interruption"of service to a part of downtown Tampa on the western edge of the city. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport - located on a vulnerable peninsula east of Tampa Bay ceased operations at 1pm on Tuesday and the Tampa International Airport will shut down at 5pm. Many of the schools are also used as shelters during the storm and its aftermath. "I wasn't particularly scared until I saw the storm track this morning," Martino, 78, said as she prepared to go to her son's house north of Tampa. I just know we have to go," said John O'Leary, a jazz pianist from Tampa, said as he and his wife loaded food, water and family photos into their car before heading to his mother's house in Palm Harbour, 40km to the west. That region - home to miles of sandy beaches and scores of resort hotels - is a favourite with retirees and vacationers alike.

It's also expected to impact eastern North Carolina. There's still a lot of uncertainty about the storm's path. Emergency management officials say residents ...

Jarvis says they have already sent a team of four to Florida ahead of Hurricane Ian. Late Friday through Saturday is expected to be the wettest, most impactful period. A game scheduled for Saturday between South Carolina and S.C. He says they've taken the first steps toward readiness if they’re needed. And she adds that an isolated tornado or waterspout is not entirely impossible for Friday night and into Saturday. Duke Energy, the state's largest utility provider, is monitoring Hurricane Ian and its potential impacts. State has been moved to Thursday. "We're going to hold our crews here in the Carolinas for now because we are in the path of the storm. We want to make sure we're supporting our local communities and being there for them. There's still a lot of uncertainty about the storm's path. N.C. [told Public Radio East](https://www.publicradioeast.org/2022-09-27/enc-to-feel-hurricane-ians-impacts-late-week-heavy-rain-strong-winds-flooding-and-isolated-tornadoes-possible) that the storm is expected to bring winds of up to 35 mph and up to seven inches of rain once it hits North Carolina.

Hurricane Ian became a major Category 3 storm early Tuesday and will continue to strengthen as it approaches Florida, National Hurricane Center forecasters ...

[Tampa](https://www.facebook.com/FlyTPA/videos/826008391758811), [Orlando](https://twitter.com/MCO/status/1574802639220604930) and Pinellas County in Florida announced that they would close Tuesday and Wednesday. [Residents on Florida's Gulf Coast ](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/floridians-head-shelters-hurricane-ian-barrels-tampa-rcna49675)stocked up on food and prepared with sandbags and plywood for their windows. [Hurricane Ian ](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/hurricane-ian-live-updates-rcna49545)became a major Category 3 storm early Tuesday and will continue to strengthen as it approaches Florida, National Hurricane Center forecasters say. Charlotte Harbor may see 12 feet of storm surge, and in the Tampa Bay area, 7 feet is expected, according to forecasters. [Ian ](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/hurricane-ian-live-updates-rcna49545)made landfall at about 4:30 a.m. American Airlines [announced travel waivers](https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp) for people flying to or out of 20 airports in Florida and the Caribbean. "What we have here is really historic storm surge and flooding potential," he said at a news conference Tuesday morning. About 2.5 million residents are under some type of evacuation orders, he said. Ron DeSantis declared a statewide emergency, saying Ian could bring several feet of storm surge. Models show the storm landing somewhere between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. [Follow along for NBC News’ live coverage of Hurricane Ian](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/hurricane-ian-live-updates-rcna49545) [hurricane center](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCPAT4+shtml/271500.shtml).

HAVANA: Cuba's electrical grid collapsed late on Tuesday (Sep 28), local officials said, leaving the entire country in the dark shortly after Hurricane Ian ...

"Sometimes hurricanes pass through here, but not of this magnitude," said Abel Hernandez, a 49-year-old tobacco farmer. State-run media said farmers had secured 33,000 tonnes of tobacco in storage from prior harvests, but many farms buildings, made with thatched palm roofs, had been flattened by the storm. "I've never seen anything like this," said Ana Julia Gomez, a 56-year-old woman who lives alone in Pinar del Rio, as she surveyed the wreckage inside her home. "Ian has done away with what little we had left," said Omar Avila, a worker at a butcher shop in Pinar del Rio. The hurricane hit Cuba at a time of dire economic crisis. "There is no electricity service in any part of the country right now."

The warm water creates “a lot more rocket fuel for the storm.” And this effect is likely to become even more frequent due to climate change, scientists say.

While hurricane seasons fluctuate year-to-year, when looked at over 10-year intervals, there are roughly 25 percent more rapidly intensifying storms in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific now than 40 years ago, according to an analysis of National Hurricane Center data by The Associated Press. “It’s more likely because of climate change,” he said. “But it’s really hard to say that climate change has an impact on any one storm in terms of its formation or its individual intensity.” Yet while storms aren’t necessarily more frequent, they are getting nastier because of global warming, experts say. It exacerbates deadly storm surges through sea-level rise, worsens freshwater flooding and increases the proportion of monster Category 4 and 5 storms, like Fiona last week, several studies show. The build up of heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels is making storms slower and wetter.

Some crises, such as Hurricane Ian that is now heading towards Florida, provide more time for businesses to prepare than others. What companies do before ...

“Since the Tampa Bay area has not been struck by a major hurricane in recent times, the structural integrity of buildings in the region has not been tested against high winds and storm surge. Our offices are located directly on the Tampa Bay, and Hurricane Ian seems to be on a direct path towards us,” Next, determine “whether or not there are controls in place (backup generators would be an example of a control). “We have set up many different lines of communication between our team and our vendors so that we can move quickly to reopen after the storm passes. Our food inventory is a huge concern for us due to the possibility of loss of power, so we have been working to run down our inventory to eliminate possible waste,” Ferraro observed. State and local governments, chambers of commerce, and other trade groups offer disaster planning and recovery guidance,” Oliver noted. At FEMA, any multi-state private sector organization may volunteer to take part in the “It is expected to bring life-threatening [storm surge](https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/12/weather/what-is-storm-surge-xpn/index.html) along much of Florida’s west coast by mid-week, as well as hurricane-force winds,” according to the news organization. Execution of crisis management plans should be looked at multiple times a year,” Porter recommended. “We are in one of the predicted direct hit areas,” Ferraro said via email. “Our management team has been monitoring the weather reports from several different sources and discussing them to adjust [our] plans as needed. What companies do before the storm hits the state, and how they do it, could be critical to their survival.

FEMA is working with federal, state, local, tribal and community partners to prepare for Hurricane Ian's landfall. Ian is predicted to bring ...

Prepare for the storm’s impact and follow instructions from local/community officials. [emergency supply kit](https://www.ready.gov/kit)for your household and [pets](https://www.ready.gov/pets). [evacuate](https://www.ready.gov/evacuation)or [shelter in place](https://www.ready.gov/shelter). [power outages](https://www.ready.gov/power-outages). Ian is predicted to bring life-threatening storm surge, with flooding and power outages. [local evacuation orders](https://www.floridadisaster.org/evacuation-orders).

Two people were killed by the storm, which caused extensive damage and flooding in western Cuba.

The financial misery, along with ongoing political repression, sparked one of the largest protest movements in decades last year. The second was a 43-year-old woman who died in San Luis when one of the walls of her house collapsed. Before the sun set, residents braved wind and rain to search for food and basic supplies, lining up under overhangs to buy a piece of chicken or a bottle of oil.

Crews were working through the night to restore power. “It's a process that is going to take a while,” the head of the Electrical Union told state ...

The economy has been hobbled in part by the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic and in part by new U.S. “Aid is already pouring in from all over the country.” sanctions imposed by the Trump administration and partially maintained by the Biden administration. “The damages are great, although they have not yet been accounted,” he tweeted. Failures appeared in the western, central and eastern links. A man in a different municipality died when a roof collapsed.

State of play: The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said "significant wind and storm surge impacts" occurred Tuesday morning in the west coast of the island. Ian ...

The storm's outer rain band began on Monday night lashing [coastal areas](https://twitter.com/NWSMiami/status/1574576479681257487) of Florida, where it could hit as a Category 4 hurricane as early as Wednesday. There's a "danger of life-threatening storm surge" along much of the Florida west coast," the [NHC said](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATCDAT4+shtml/262102.shtml). [flooding](https://twitter.com/PerfectHealth_1/status/1574959181869760512) across the lower Florida Keys as the Category 3 hurricane moved 105 miles southwest of Naples, Florida, packing maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. [tweet](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1574678606126583809). [major hurricane](https://www.axios.com/2022/09/27/live-hurricane-ian-southwest-florida) just before making landfall over western Cuba on Tuesday morning, according to the [National Hurricane Center](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1574648913734160384/photo/1). [Strengthening Hurricane Ian closes in on Cuba and Florida](/2022/09/25/hurricane-ian-intensifies-florida-threat) [tweeted](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1574806286067179520). the [NHC said](https://twitter.com/NHC_Atlantic/status/1574987422068199424/photo/1) in an update at 1am ET. [Hurricane Ian](https://www.axios.com/2022/09/25/hurricane-ian-intensifies-florida-threat) was expected to further ramp-up to a major Category 4 storm ahead of its expected landfall in Florida with "catastrophic" winds and storm surge on Wednesday, per the National Hurricane Center. [Hurricane Ian approaches Category 4 intensity as it heads toward Florida](https://www.axios.com/2022/09/27/live-hurricane-ian-southwest-florida) [Hurricane Ian](https://www.axios.com/2022/09/27/live-hurricane-ian-southwest-florida) swept through in the morning and severely flooded the Caribbean island. [AP notes](https://apnews.com/article/hurricanes-cuba-caribbean-hurricane-ian-080599db41b3e492d41e55046cb13c23?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=TopNews&utm_campaign=position_01).

Ian hit a Cuba that has been struggling with an economic crisis and has faced frequent power outages in recent months.

The masonry and zinc roof of the house had just been installed. A hospital in Pinar del Río was damaged. Authorities were still assessing the damage in its world-famous tobacco belt. It made landfall as a Category 3 storm on the island’s western end, devastating Pinar del Río province, where much of the tobacco used for Cuba’s iconic cigars is grown. Power was initially knocked out to about 1 million people in Cuba’s western provinces, but later the entire grid collapsed. Authorities were still assessing the damage, although no fatalities had been reported by Tuesday night.

Hurricane Ian is headed for the gulf coast of Florida after making landfall in Cuba. The hurricane is expected to bring storm surge and heavy rain to the ...

more frequently in recent years](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2021/09/29/record-us-hurricane-landfalls-climate/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_9). And last summer alone, [nearly 1 in 3 Americans experienced a weather disaster](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/09/04/climate-disaster-hurricane-ida/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_10). [seven safety tips to help you get ready for hurricanes](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/05/03/hurricane-safety-prepare-noaa/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_6). Read more about [how climate change is fueling severe weather events](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/10/22/climate-curious-disasters-climate-change/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_11). [intensified this fall with conditions prime for storms](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/08/17/hurricane-season-tropical-atlantic/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_1). For the seventh year in a row, hurricane officials expect [an above-average season of hurricane activity](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/05/24/noaa-atlantic-hurricane-outlook-2022/?itid=lb_the-atlantic-hurricane-season_5).

In Jamaica, Ian moved south of the island, producing around three to six inches of rainfall, storm surge and swells that affected coastal communities.

In La Habana, one of the six provinces under a hurricane alert, moderate rainfall and strong wind gusts have left several areas in the island’s capital of the same name without power. In Jamaica, Ian moved south of the island, producing around three to six inches of rainfall, storm surge and swells that affected coastal communities. The system rapidly intensified as it moved across Cuba, becoming the fourth hurricane and second major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

Universities are canceling classes and shuttering campuses ahead of the storm, showing the importance of disaster resilience in a world transformed by ...

[What does ‘strengthen research capacity’ actually mean, and how can we do it?](https://timeshighereducation.com/campus/what-does-strengthen-research-capacity-actually-mean-and-how-can-we-do-it) [University-edtech collaboration: how to leverage the best of both worlds](https://timeshighereducation.com/campus/universityedtech-collaboration-how-leverage-best-both-worlds) [Considering a university merger? “This is a learning opportunity, and universities have a special power to inculcate good social lessons in students,” Verchick said. “Thus, developing long-term investment (resilience capacity, resilience building) in preparing campus communities for a range of different disasters is critical.” “Certainly, the days of special library collections in basements are coming to an end.” Kapucu said the grant allowed UCF to become “the first storm-ready campus in the nation with a fully staffed Emergency Operation Center.” “A lot of campuses are basically like little cities.” Others, like Rollins College in Winter Park, announced they would close residence halls Wednesday and asked students to leave campus—a decision college administrators [said](https://emergency.rollins.edu/) they made with “the utmost gravity.” “There is a delicate balance between panic and complacency in response to disasters.” The University of Tampa, directly in Ian’s projected path, was a veritable [ghost town](https://twitter.com/tconcannon20/status/1574861104357974017?s=20&t=hp1O-r3XOg79BfQovHAz3A) by Tuesday evening, having [bused all students off campus](https://twitter.com/tconcannon20/status/1574769052488241155?s=20&t=hp1O-r3XOg79BfQovHAz3A) and [boarded up its windows](https://twitter.com/tconcannon20/status/1574513979686359041?s=20&t=hp1O-r3XOg79BfQovHAz3A). “I can definitely say that the university is well prepared for hurricanes and other potential human-caused or natural hazards and disasters,” Kapucu wrote. But if you close a dorm, where are the students going to go?” he said. “Students submit to us their hurricane evacuation plans, which consist of where they plan to ride out the storm.