Nearly all of Florida is in Tropical Storm Ian’s cone as residents look to evacuate
Tropical Storm Ian is expected to strengthen and possibly become a hurricane Monday as it targets Florida.
Nearly all of Florida is in the cone of probability Saturday morning as the track of the storm is still uncertain. The point of landfall continues to push northward on the west coast of Florida and Ian now is forecast to come ashore near Tampa early Thursday morning with winds topping 100 mph.
On Friday, the expected point of landfall moved farther north along the coast with each advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
The NHC said Ian has the potential for significant impact from storm surge, hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall and the Hurricane Hunters from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi are scheduled to fly into the storm.
The unknown is how far north and west the storm will track before making landfall. Models are in general agreement that the storm will begin to curve to Florida after crossing near or over the western part of Cuba, the NHC reports.
The track has been shifting slightly to the west and the cone is likely to change in the coming days as Ian strengthens.
Some Florida residents are expected to evacuate to South Mississippi to stay at the casinos or come early with their antique and classic cars for Cruisin’ The Coast, which begins Sunday, Oct. 2.
