Tropical Storm Ian Is Headed For Florida, But Not Before It Becomes A Hurricane
Tropical Storm Ian is barreling towards the state of Florida, but not before it’s projected to turn into HURRICANE Ian.
We are officially in hurricane season, and that means people in the states along the Southern Coast and East Coast better get their emergency supplies in order.
Hurricane watches have been issued for parts of Cuba a full 60 hours ahead of arrival time and likely due to the Category 4 concerns. With that in mind, we could see watches issued for west coast of Florida Sunday night or Monday morning.
Tony Mainolfi, WESH 2 Chief Meteorologist
Now, I live in North Carolina, and they are already talking about issuing watches for this part of the country.
We are expecting more rapid intensification over the next few days day with Ian forecast to become a Category 4 hurricane as early as Tuesday then weaken Thursday as wind shear is currently forecast to increase with a cold front on Thursday
Tony Mainolfi, WESH 2 Chief Meteorologist
According to The New York Times, a category 4 hurricane is one that has winds with speeds up to 156 miles per hour. I don’t know about you, but I do NOT want to be caught out in those ginormous wind speeds!
In fact, there is only 1 category above a category 4 hurricane, so you know Ian has the potential to be hella dangerous.
As with ANY hurricane, they don’t know it’s EXACT trajectory, but they can make some pretty educated guesses with the aid of modern technology.
Regardless of Ian’s exact track and intensity, there is a risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week
The National Hurricane Center
Make sure you are ready. Have your emergency supplies in order, and your evacuation route mapped out.
Stay safe out there. Don’t be a hero, and try to go watch the storm. Get yourself sheltered.