Hurricane Ian updates LIVE: Florida residents have just HOURS to evacuate as the state begins to experience tropical storm-force winds – while the entire island of Cuba is left without power as grid collapses
Thousands of members of the National Guard are on standby in Florida as the state braces for Hurricane Ian, which is set to bring a trail of destruction.
Hurricane Ian entered the U.S. Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday and is forecast to become a dangerous, category 4 storm over the warm waters of the Gulf, according to National Hurricane Center forecaster Eric Blake.
It is expected to bring hurricane-force winds of up to 130 mph and as much as 2 feet of rain to the Tampa area starting early on Wednesday through Thursday evening.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has warned that Ian will cause ‘catastrophic’ flooding across the Sunshine State and urges people to prepare for the ‘historic’ storm.
Here, follow DailyMail.com’s live blog for the latest developments on Hurricane Ian today: