September 26, 2022 Florida braces for Hurricane Ian | CNN

September 26, 2022 Florida braces for Hurricane Ian

By Mike Hayes, Elise Hammond and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN
Updated 7:11 AM EDT, Tue September 27, 2022
A satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Ian near Cuba, right, on Monday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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NASA releases live pictures of Hurricane Ian from ISS
01:47 - Source: CNN

What we covered

Our live coverage has ended. Read more about Hurricane Ian here and in the posts below.

47 Posts

At least 3 cruise lines changing schedule of stops to avoid hurricane's path

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

At least three cruise lines with ships sailing this week are rerouting passengers due to Hurricane Ian.

Norwegian Cruise Lines has changed five ports on the Norwegian Sky which left Miami on Sunday, the cruise line told CNN. The ship was scheduled to port in George Town, Grand Cayman, Roatan, Honduras, Harvest Caye, Belize and Cozumel and will now make stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas, to avoid the path of Ian. 

A spokesperson for the cruise line said guests who booked excursions in any of the affected ports will get a refund to their “onboard account.”

MSC has changed course on at least one of its ships and is weighing the possibility of changing others, a spokesperson tells CNN. The MSC Seashore, which was originally scheduled to be in the Western Caribbean, has been rerouted to ports in the Eastern Caribbean, the company said. 

The cruise line is also monitoring the MSC Divinia which left Port Canaveral on a 4-night sailing to Nassau and the Ocean City Marine Reserve on Sunday. MSC says both cruise ports are outside of Ian’s projected path but advised passengers before leaving that conditions could prevent the ship from returning on Thursday. The cruise line says if there is a delay in their return, the cruise will be extended at no additional cost to guests.  

The cruise line does not expect Ian to impact the MSC Seashore, which is set to depart from the Port of Miami on Saturday, Oct. 1. 

Carnival Cruise Lines has made adjustments to two of its sailings. 

Carnival Ecstasy, which departed from Mobile, Alabama, today for a 6-day sailing will visit Progresso Mexico on Wednesday before going to Cozumel on Thursday. The change re-orders the visits, as the ship was scheduled to visit Cozumel first, the cruise line tells CNN.

Carnival Glory left New Orleans on Sunday for an 8-day sailing, and will now port in Mahogany Bay, Roatan, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship’s original itinerary was to visit Key West as well as Freeport and Nassau, Bahamas.

Tampa Bay International Airport to suspend operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday, governor says 

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Tampa Bay International Airport will suspend operations Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a statement. 

In an earlier statement, the airport said it was monitoring Hurricane Ian and would cease operations at 50 mph sustained winds.  Earlier today, St. Pete/Clearwater International Airport announced it would close at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

The Port of Tampa Bay is also planning to suspend operations at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, DeSantis said. 

Other airports in Florida are continuing to monitor Hurricane Ian, but have not announced closures. 

CNN has reached out to Tampa Bay International Airport and the Tampa Bay mayor’s office for more information.

More than 19,000 residents have already been evacuated from western Cuba, state news says

From CNN’s Patrick Oppmann and Heather Law
Waves under a dark sky along the shore of Batabano, Cuba, on Monday.
Waves under a dark sky along the shore of Batabano, Cuba, on Monday.
(Ramon Espinosa/AP)

At least 19,283 people have been evacuated from their homes in the western Cuban province of Pinar del Río as Hurricane Ian strengthens, according to state news channel TelePinar.

Among the evacuees, 18,042 have sought refuge with family and friends, the report stated. Officials estimate another 50,000 residents will need to evacuate the province as the hurricane moves north.

The forecast: The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center predicts conditions in western Cuba will deteriorate through the night, with “significant wind and storm surge impacts expected.”

Forecasts say Ian will likely be a Category 3 with winds of 120 mph or greater when it moves over Cuba on Tuesday morning.

Here's what Hurricane Ian looks like from space

NASA tweeted out video of what Hurricane Ian looks like for the International Space Station.

View the video, here:

Florida emergency management official tells residents to heed the evacuation warning

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management
Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management
(CNN)

Kevin Guthrie, the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, is urging people to “heed the evacuation warning” as Hurricane Ian gets closer to the coast.

Guthrie told CNN that the biggest concern is that people do not follow orders to leave, adding that Floridians should expect more evacuations on Tuesday.

Guthrie said this is especially a concern in Pinellas County where there are many manufactured homes, RVs and trailers. 

According to Guthrie, the Department of Transportation would most likely turn on the emergency shoulder use authorization allowing for people to use the shoulders at slower speeds in order to help the congestion of those trying to get out of some areas. 

St. Petersburg hospital suspends all services and transfers patients 

From CNN’s Joe Sutton

The HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, is closing ahead of Ian.  

According to HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital’s website, the facility is a 307-bed hospital, has 530 employees, 115 physicians and at least 39,076 patients have been treated.  

St. Petersburg is about 17 miles from Tampa. 

Chevron evacuates personnel from offshore oil and gas field in Gulf of Mexico

From CNN's Melissa Alonso

Chevron Corp has begun moving workers to safety and halting production at offshore production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, the company said in a statement.

According to the statement, “production at our other Chevron-operated Gulf of Mexico assets remains at normal levels. Chevron will continue to closely monitor the storm and remains focused on the safety of our workforce, the integrity of our facilities and the protection of the environment.”

“Both offshore and onshore, Chevron is following our storm plans and paying close attention to the forecast and track of Hurricane Ian,” the company stated.

This Tampa resident waited 3 hours to get free sandbags

From CNN’s Amanda Jackson
Florida Residents prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on Monday.
Florida Residents prepare for the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian on Monday.
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Khadijah Jones was in line for three hours on Monday to get free sandbags that the city of Tampa was handing out to residents ahead of Hurricane Ian.

Jones told CNN she is planning on staying at her home during the storm. 

She said she isn’t sure if her home will flood since it was her first hurricane in the home she lives in. She said she will share the 10 sandbags with her neighbor as well.  

This isn’t her first hurricane experience. She said she lived through Hurricane Isabel in Virginia and Hurricane Irma in Florida.

Sanibel Island and Lee County declare states of emergency

From CNN’s Amanda Musa

The City of Sanibel, Florida, declared a state of emergency during a special city council meeting Monday evening as Hurricane Ian churns toward the west coast of Florida.

Sanibel is located on Sanibel Island — just south of Fort Myers — in Lee County. 

A voluntary evacuation has also been issued for the City of Sanibel, council members said.

Meanwhile, Lee County also declared a state of emergency Monday, according to an afternoon press conference. 

Lee County officials will decide Tuesday morning whether a mandatory evacuation will be issued, City of Sanibel members said.

Florida electric company mobilizes 13,000 personnel for restoration work

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch 

Florida Power and Light has activated its emergency response plan mobilizing 13,000 personnel in preparation for Hurricane Ian, the company said in a statement on Monday.

“As this storm approaches Florida, we know our customers are counting on us and we are determined to meet this challenge,” Eric Silagy, chairman and CEO of FPL said in the statement. “We are mobilizing and pre-positioning our restoration workforce, so these brave men and women can quickly start working as soon as it is safe to do so.”

The statement said the company has more than 13,000 people making sure they are ready to respond “regardless of Ian’s final path.”

“We’re urging customers to finalize their preparations and make safety their top priority,” the statement said.

Ian's path shows the center within 10 miles of St. Petersburg's coastline and moving slowly

From CNN's Brandon Miller

The path for the increasingly dangerous Hurricane Ian nudges it a little further eastward as the storm is forecast to move very slowly past Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida.

The center of the storm tracks within 10 miles of the St. Petersburg coastline, near Clearwater, while also slowing the storm down to a walking pace between 3 and 4 mph on Thursday as it makes its closest pass. 

Additional hurricane warnings have also been added in Florida.

The hurricane watch from Englewood to the Anclote River, including Tampa Bay, has been upgraded to a hurricane warning, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

“A hurricane warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case, within 24 to 36 hours,” the hurricane center said.

Hurricane warnings are also in effect for the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio, and Artemisa.

Hurricane Ian strengthens to Category 2 and is expected to slam Cuba Tuesday morning

From CNN's Brandon Miller
A satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Ian moving toward western Cuba, on Monday at 1:30 p.m. ET.
A satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Ian moving toward western Cuba, on Monday at 1:30 p.m. ET.
(NOAA/NASA)

Hurricane Ian has reached maximum sustained winds up to 100 mph on Monday, making it a Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, according to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The center of the storm is located just over 150 miles southeast of the western tip of Cuba as it moves north-northwest.

Conditions in western Cuba are expected to deteriorate through the night, with “significant wind and storm surge impacts expected,” the hurricane center said. Forecasts say Ian will likely be a Category 3 with winds of 120 mph or greater when it moves over Cuba on Tuesday morning.

“Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 9 to 14 feet above normal tide levels along the coast of western Cuba in areas of onshore winds in the hurricane warning area tonight and early Tuesday,” the hurricane center said.

Additionally, a storm surge warning has been added for portions of western Florida with 5 to 10 feet of surge possible, according to the latest advisory. The warning stretches from Anclote River southward to Flamingo, including Tampa Bay.

“The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” it added.

Clearwater International Airport will close Tuesday

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport announced that it will close operations starting at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday as Hurricane Ian heads toward Florida. 

In August, the airport saw a record-breaking 193,073 passengers and serves 65 non-stop destinations, according to its website. 

Other Florida airports are continuing to monitor Ian, but have yet to announce closures.

Several Florida counties are ordering residents to evacuate. Here's where things stand

From CNN's Melissa Alonso and Amanda Musa  

Several Florida counties have started to evacuate residents ahead of Hurricane Ian.

Throughout the day on Monday, officials around the state made it clear that the situation was evolving and urged residents to prepare to evacuate if necessary.

Here’s a look at where things stand with evacuation orders around Florida as of Monday afternoon: 

  • Pinellas County evacuations started Monday: Pinellas County officials have ordered a mandatory evacuation for “all residents in Evacuation Zone A (including all mobile home residents)” effective 6 p.m. ET Monday, said a county tweet. “Mandatory orders for evacuation zones B and C will be effective tomorrow morning at 7 a.m ET, ” said officials.  
  • Sarasota County announced an evacuation alert for Level A in effect for Tuesday morning: Sarasota County officials announced an evacuation alert for Level A residents in effect for Tuesday morning. Barrier islands and other Level A residents are expected to be affected by storm surge, officials said on Monday afternoon.  
  • Charlotte County calls for evacuations for harbor, low-lying areas: Charlotte County officials are calling for the evacuation of all red zones surrounding Charlotte Harbor, as well as the barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes. Shelters are set to open tomorrow, Patrick Fuller, Director of Charlotte County Emergency Management, said during a press conference Monday afternoon. Charlotte County is just north of Fort Myers and is home to approximately 40,000 people, according to Fuller. 
  • Hillsborough County issued mandatory evacuation beginning at 2 p.m. today: A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for Zone A of Hillsborough County, Florida as of 2 p.m. local time Monday, and a voluntary evacuation has been recommended for Zone B, Bonnie Wise, Hillsborough County Administrator announced during a news briefing Monday. Emergency shelters are also being opened, Wise added.
  • Hernando County declares an emergency and calls for evacuations: During a briefing this morning Hernando County Administrator, Jeff Rodgers, announced a local state of emergency as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida’s coast. Jim Coleman, county emergency management director, said they are issuing voluntary evacuation orders for low lying areas in the county, mobile homes and areas west of Highway 19 traversing the county north to south. Officials said they would be issuing mandatory evacuation order for the same areas beginning tomorrow. Schools in the county will be closed beginning on Tuesday. Hernando County is just north of Tampa on Florida’s west coast.
  • Manatee County’s mandatory evacuations begin Tuesday: A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for Zones A of Manatee County, Florida as of 8 a.m. ET Tuesday, the county announced in a press release Monday. A voluntary evacuation for the county’s Zone B was also issued. “We’re expecting sustained tropical or hurricane winds to our barrier islands and coastal communities for as long as 48 hours, with the earliest arrival predicted for 8 p.m. Tuesday,” said Manatee County Administrator Scott Hopes. “This is a worst-case scenario with a very strong slow-moving storm just to the west of us.”

In Havana, store shelves are empty and there’s no ability to load up on supplies

From CNN's Patrick Oppmann in Havana
People helps pull small boats out of Havana Bay on September 26.
People helps pull small boats out of Havana Bay on September 26.
(Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images)

For the most part, life in the Cuban capital of Havana was normal on Monday — even as the sky began to darken and winds slowly picked up.

Store shelves are already empty and there’s no ability to load up on supplies as Cuba is in the midst of an economic crisis. Plywood is impossible to find and only a few people are able to board up their homes. Like most people in the Caribbean, Cubans are used to hurricanes and know that the only option is to ride out a storm and all the difficulties that come with them. 

Cargo ships have been seen leaving the port of Havana all day. Ships typically leave ahead of a big storm because if they break loose, they could cause damage to the port and the ships themselves.

People who live on small islands off the coast of southern Cuba were being ferried into the mainland ahead of the storm, according to Cuban state TV. 

Ian is expected to slam into the western province of Pinar del Rio, where tobacco for the country’s famed cigars is grown.

But in Havana, about 115 miles away from the city of Pinar del Rio, even tropical force winds and rains can cause flooding and aging buildings to come crashing down. 

National Hurricane Center director calls Ian forecast a "near worst-case scenario" for the Tampa area

From CNN's Jennifer Gray and Brandon Miller

For residents in the Tampa Bay area, “it’s time to stop looking on the internet and hoping that it’ll go away. It’s time to start acting,” Jamie Rhome, the National Hurricane Center acting director, tells CNN.

The current forecast track for Hurricane Ian puts all of the Tampa Bay region on the right side of the storm, which would see winds push water northward into Tampa Bay, maximizing the inundation from storm surge. The current storm surge forecast for this area is up to 10 feet.

If this storm track and intensity materializes, he warns residents that “this is a near worst case approach angle coming in from the south and west and stalling,” Rhome said. “With it slowing down, this would be a near worst case approach angle.”

The forward speed of the storm as it passes Tampa on Wednesday into Thursday is less than 5 mph — about 1/3 of the current forward speed of Ian. This slow speed, in combination with the intensity of the storm could be devastating for this region.

 “We’re at the action phase. We’re no longer at the ponder phase or think about it phase or hope it goes away phase. We’re at the action phase,” said Rhome.

Ian is projected to be the closest pass to Tampa Bay for a major hurricane since 1950. The current track puts the center of Ian passing within 25 miles west of the coastline as it parallels the coast.

Rain from Hurricane Ian has started to move through Key West

Rain showers and thunderstorms from “the outermost rainbands of Hurricane Ian” have started to move through Key West, the National Weather Service tweeted Monday.

“Conditions will continue to deteriorate from here on,” the tweet added.

See the tweet:

Tampa mayor says she wants "everyone to understand the seriousness of this situation"

From CNN's Maria Cartaya
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
(CNN)

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor held a press conference on Monday afternoon to address the city’s preparedness for Hurricane Ian. 

Castor talked about the possible dangers of storm surges, saying “we are looking at the possibility of having a 10-to-15-foot storm surge.” 

“Clearly, that would be very devastating for our community,” said Castor. 

Castor advised residents to heed the warnings and not “make decisions at the last minute.” 

“Right now, the prediction is we are going to be impacted by Hurricane Ian,” added Castor. 

Earlier in the day, evacuation orders were announced for parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Castor said 49 shelters are open, including some accepting pets and others accommodating residents with special needs. 

“The city of Tampa is prepared, and we want to make sure that all of our citizens are prepared,” said Castor. 

Castor advised the public to stay informed by signing up for update alerts as “things can change minute by minute.” 

On Monday, the City of Tampa’s Citizen Information Line was activated to help residents with “urgent questions regarding the storm.” Residents can call the center for immediate assistance until 8 p.m. ET on Monday, and every other day from 8 a.m. ET until midnight until further notice. 

“This is going to be a storm like we have never seen in the past,” said Castor, adding, “I want everyone to understand the seriousness of this situation.”

Mandatory evacuations ordered in Pinellas County, Florida

Florida’s Pinellas County has announced a mandatory evacuation order for some of its residents beginning today at 6 p.m. ET.

It added that all residential health care facilities in Pinellas County will be under mandatory evacuation orders starting today as well.

The county said that mandatory orders for evacuation zones B and C will be “effective tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.”

See the evacuation zone map here:

Climate change is causing hurricanes to intensify faster than ever

From CNN's Angela Fritz and Rachel Ramirez

Hurricane Ian is strengthening rapidly as it passes over the ultra-warm waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. The National Hurricane Center had predicted the system would rapidly intensify from a tropical storm to at least a Category 4 hurricane in less than 72 hours.

It is an unprecedented forecast, experts told CNN, but one scientist says it is becoming more likely as the climate crisis advances, pushing ocean temperatures higher and laying the groundwork for tropical storms to explode at breakneck pace into deadly major hurricanes. 

Rapid intensification is precisely what it sounds like — a hurricane’s winds strengthening rapidly over a short amount of time. Scientists have defined it as a wind speed increase of at least 35 mph in 24 hours or less. 

The phenomenon played out with breathtaking speed in the Philippines this weekend. Super Typhoon Noru exploded in strength on its final approach toward the Pacific island nation, going from the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane to a Category 5 overnight as residents around Manila slept.

Noru’s rapid intensification right before landfall — which was not predicted — likely meant locals had no time prepare for the much stronger storm. 

Hurricane Ian’s has been in the forecast for days, giving Cuba and Florida the benefit of time. Winds in the storm increased from 45 mph Sunday evening to 80 mph late Monday morning, and more strengthening is in the forecast. Ian could intensify into at least a Category 4 before it makes landfall in Florida midweek.

Rapid intensification has historically been a rare phenomenon, according to Allison Wing, an assistant professor of atmospheric science at Florida State University.

Read more about this here.

GO DEEPER
Hurricane Ian’s uncertain path has all of Florida preparing
Hurricane categories and other terminology explained
Hurricane preparedness: What to do before and after the storm
For the first time in 25 years, August did not have a named storm - now September is starting off with a possible hurricane

GO DEEPER
Hurricane Ian’s uncertain path has all of Florida preparing
Hurricane categories and other terminology explained
Hurricane preparedness: What to do before and after the storm
For the first time in 25 years, August did not have a named storm - now September is starting off with a possible hurricane