Hurricane Ian becomes ‘extremely dangerous’ Category 4 storm as it makes landfall on Florida coast

Hurricane Ian upgraded to ‘extremely dangerous’ 4 category the storm, packed with sustained winds of 155 mph early Wednesday, just hours before it was expected to make landfall on Florida’s southwest coast. About 2.5 million people were under a mandatory evacuation order as the hurricane began to make landfall on the Florida peninsula with heavy rain and tropical storm-force winds in the early hours.

Ian tore through western Cuba on Tuesday with winds of up to 125 mph. A pity from the storm knocked out Cuba’s power gridleaving the entire country in the dark on Wednesday morning.

Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg were among the cities preparing for the worst of the storm, but latest predictions are offered Ian will make landfall a little further south, from Ft. The Myers region is at risk of a possible direct hit. Given the size and strength of the hurricane and the storm surge it is expected to bring to coastal areas, officials have made it clear that much of Florida remains at risk.

“It’s important to say that in the Tampa Bay region, you’re not out of the woods yet,” Florida Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said Tuesday, urging residents to “heed the warnings that are out there.”