Florida declares emergency amid threat of Tropical Storm Ian

Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for Florida on Saturday as Tropical Storm Ian gathers strength over the Caribbean and is expected to bring heavy rain and gale force winds to the state next week.

DeSantis initially issued the emergency order for two dozen counties on Friday, but expanded the warning statewide, encouraging residents and local governments to prepare for a storm that could hit large swathes of Florida.

“This storm has the potential to become a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to prepare,” DeSantis said in a statement. “We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts from this storm.”

The National Hurricane Center said Ian is forecast to strengthen rapidly in the coming days before moving over western Cuba and making landfall in Florida in the middle of next week at full hurricane strength.

John Cangialosi, senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said it’s currently unclear where Ian will hit the hardest in Florida and said residents should start preparing for the storm, including gathering supplies for potential power outages. Energy.

“Too early to tell if it’s going to be a southeast Florida issue or a central Florida issue or just statewide,” he said. “So at this point, the correct message to those living in Florida is to watch the forecasts and prepare for the potential impact of this tropical system.”

The governor’s declaration releases emergency protection funds and activates members of the Florida National Guard, his office said. His order emphasizes that there is a risk of storm surge, flooding, dangerous winds and other weather conditions throughout the state.

Meanwhile, heavy rains and winds are battering Atlantic Canada as a powerful post-tropical cyclone made landfall there, with forecasters warning it could be one of the most severe storms in the county’s history. Fiona made landfall in Nova Scotia before dawn on Saturday.

More than 500,000 customers in Atlantic Canada have been affected by outages. Sea waves lashed the town of Port Aux Basques on Newfoundland’s south coast, where entire structures were swept out to sea.

[Con información de The Associated Press]

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