America

Ian becomes a hurricane and moves towards Cuba and Florida

Victoria Colson, 31, of Tampa, loads sandbags into her truck along with other Tampa residents who waited about two hours at Himes Avenue Complex to take their 10 free bags, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. .  (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Tropical Storm Ian strengthened into a hurricane Monday as it approached Cuba, on a track expected to take it to Florida in the coming days.

Forecasters expected Ian to quickly gain strength and become a strong hurricane beginning Monday night.

Cuban authorities suspended classes in Pinar del Río province and said evacuations would begin Monday ahead of the storm’s arrival.

Hurricane alerts were declared on Grand Cayman Island and in the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Río and Artemisa. The National Hurricane Center estimated that Ian would reach the westernmost side of Cuba on Monday night or early Tuesday, near the country’s most famous tobacco fields. The meteor could become a major hurricane on Tuesday.

Cuban state media Granma said authorities would begin evacuating people from vulnerable areas on Monday morning in the western province of Pinar del Río.

As of 5 a.m. EDT Sunday, Ian was moving northwest at 13 miles per hour, about 90 miles (150 kilometers) south of Grand Cayman, according to the Hurricane Center. Its maximum sustained winds were 75 miles (120 km) per hour.

Meanwhile, Floridians were cautiously tracking the storm as it moved across the Caribbean and toward them.

Victoria Colson, 31, of Tampa, loads sandbags into her truck along with other Tampa residents who waited about two hours at Himes Avenue Complex to take their 10 free bags, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. . (Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in Florida and urged residents to prepare for the storm to hit large swaths of the state with downpours, gale force winds and storm surge.

Meteorologists were still unclear where the meteor might make landfall. Current models indicated it could be headed for the West Coast or the northwestern fringe of Florida, he noted.

“We’re going to continue to monitor the track of this storm, but it’s really important to highlight the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” DeSantis said at a news conference Sunday, warning that “even if they’re not necessarily in the eye of the storm’s track storm, there are going to be pretty broad impacts across the state.”

There is a possibility of flooding in the Florida Keys and the Florida Panhandle through mid-week, and then heavy rains are possible in North Florida, the Northwest Florida panhandle, and the Southeastern United States toward end of this week. The NHC advised state residents to have hurricane plans and to follow updates on the storm’s track.

President Joe Biden also declared an emergency and authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance to protect lives and property. The president postponed a trip to Florida scheduled for September 27 because of the storm.

[Con información de The Associated Press]

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and turn on notifications, or follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.



Source link