Ian strengthens into a hurricane and heads toward Cuba and Florida

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Ian has become a hurricane as it approaches Cuba on a track that is expected to take it to Florida in the coming days.

Ian was expected to rapidly intensify and become a major hurricane as early as late Monday.

Cuban authorities suspended classes in Pinar del Rio province and said evacuations would begin Monday as Ian was expected to strengthen before reaching the western part of the island on its way to Florida.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Grand Cayman and the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Ian should reach the western tip of Cuba late Monday or early Tuesday, hitting near the country’s tobacco fields.

It could become a major hurricane before a likely landfall in Florida by midweek, possibly on the state’s west coast or Panhandle.

Cuba’s state media Granma said authorities will begin evacuating people from vulnerable areas early Monday in the far western province of Pinar del Río.

Classes there have been suspended.

As of 5 a.m. Monday, Ian was moving northwest at 13 mph, about 90 miles southwest of Grand Cayman, the center said.

It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph.

Meanwhile, Florida residents kept a wary eye on Ian as it barreled ominously through the Caribbean on a path to the state.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency across Florida and urged residents to prepare for the storm to hit large areas of the state with heavy rain, high winds and rising seas.

Forecasters still aren’t sure where exactly Ian might make landfall, with current models tracing it toward the west coast of Florida or the panhandle regions, he said.

“We will continue to monitor the tracking of this storm. But it’s really important to emphasize the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” said Mr. DeSantis at a press conference this Sunday, and warned that “even if it’s not necessarily right in the eye of the storm’s path, it’s going to have pretty broad impacts across the state.”

Flash and urban flooding is possible in the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula through midweek, with heavy rain possible in North Florida, the Florida panhandle, and the southeastern United States later this week. week

The agency placed a tropical storm watch in the lower Florida Keys Sunday evening and advised Floridians to have hurricane plans and monitor the storm’s evolving track for updates.

US President Joe Biden also declared an emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief and provide assistance to protect lives and property.

The president postponed a scheduled Sept. 27 trip to Florida because of the storm.

John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based center, said in an interview Sunday that it’s unclear exactly where Ian will affect Florida the most.

Residents should begin preparations, including gathering supplies for possible power outages, he said.

“It’s a hard thing to say, stay tuned, but that’s the right message right now,” Cangialosi said.

“But for those in Florida, it’s still time to get ready. I’m not telling you to pull up the blinds or anything like that just yet, but it’s still time to get your supplies.”

Local media in Florida have reported a rush by consumers for water, generators and other supplies in some areas where residents moved to stock up on goods ahead of the storm.