U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Monday declared a Public Health Emergency for Florida due to Hurricane Ian, which was expected to bring damaging winds, torrential rains and powerful storm surge later in the week.
Floridians scrambled to set up sandbags and stockpile emergency supplies on Monday as the state braced for the storm.
Residents across the state emptied store shelves of water and household items, as schools and colleges in the Tampa area and northwest Florida canceled classes through at least Thursday.
The approaching storm also forced NASA on Monday to roll its giant moon rocket off its launchpad in Florida and back to the assembly building to protect the vehicle.
Jose Lugo, who lives in Orange County in the central part of the state, told CNN affiliate WFTV 9 that he made several trips over the weekend to fill up sandbags at a local park for family members.
“It’s better to be prepared than sorry later,” Lugo said.
The intensifying storm was about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Grand Cayman on Monday morning, churning northwest in the Caribbean Sea at 14 miles an hour. Currently with sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 km per hour), it was on course to bisect Cuba on Tuesday on its way to Florida, the U.S. National Weather Service said.
Ian should intensify once it enters the Gulf of Mexico, mushrooming into a Category 3 storm, but it could weaken again to Category 1, with winds of 90 mph, while parked off Tampa on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Thursday, the NHC.
From there, Ian could either make landfall north of Tampa Bay early on Friday or turn northwest toward Florida’s Panhandle.
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