Hurricane Ian has continued to quickly intensify with most sustained winds of 155 mph with increased gusts and moreover, has considerably expanded in dimension.
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter known as the affect in Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Sanibel Island, and surrounding communities a possible “worse case” hurricane state of affairs given the extraordinary hurricane nearing the west coast of Florida. The report states Ian’s angle of method and slowing down significantly, will delay the life-threatening impacts from the hurricane together with a devastating storm surge of 15-20’ within the worst hit areas, it is going to additionally result in flooding rainfall, damaging winds, and the chance for localized tornadoes.
The most recent updates present {that a} storm surge is a serious concern in these communities as a result of distinctive topography of the bays, inlets, and close by ocean flooring. Persistent excessive winds will primarily pile water up and regularly direct the quickly rising water into the bays, inlets and tidal rivers together with Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River, and the Caloosahatchee River with waves on prime of this water degree improve. The storm surge will threaten folks and property. Because of the sluggish motion of the storm, the storm surge can persist rising the chance for appreciable harm and threatening to cut-off communities.
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Harmful sustained winds of 100-130 mph are anticipated to happen in Southwest Florida.
All hurricane preparations ought to be instantly dropped at completion and Floridians ought to safely evacuate from areas below obligatory evacuation as quickly as doable. You solely have a matter of hours or much less to get a protected location to experience out the storm.
Don’t assume Ian’s impacts shall be felt solely alongside the coast in SW Florida – AccuWeather meteorologists additionally predict extraordinarily heavy rainfall within the order of 18-24 inches. This extended heavy rainfall might lead to main and even catastrophic flooding. Though Ian will lose wind depth because the storm slowly progresses inland away from the coast, damaging wind gusts to close hurricane drive (74 mph) are doable in Orlando and surrounding areas. Widespread energy outages, some long-lasting, maybe weeks in length, might happen within the hardest hit areas.
Localized tornadoes, which created extreme harm and accidents throughout elements of South Florida yesterday, can even be doable throughout a lot of the central and southern a part of the peninsula.
AccuWeather meteorologists additionally warn of the potential for harmful flooding additional north later this week into the weekend throughout elements of the southeastern US as Ian’s moisture interacts with a stalled entrance leading to continued heavy rainfall and a danger for flash flooding.
The best affect space alongside the SW Florida shoreline is sadly a number of the similar locations which skilled devasting impacts from Hurricane Charley in August 2004.