Florida statewide emergency declared as Ian poses hurricane threat
President Joe Biden on Saturday approved an emergency declaration for Florida as the state faces a potential major hurricane from what is now Tropical Storm Ian
President Joe Biden on Saturday approved an emergency declaration for Florida as the state faces a potential major hurricane from what is now Tropical Storm Ian, the White House said.
The storm, currently in the central Caribbean Sea, is expected to become a hurricane by late Sunday and to become a major hurricane — meaning a Category 3 — by Monday or Tuesday, forecasters said.
It could approach Florida’s western coast by Wednesday or Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“Regardless of Ian’s exact track, there is a risk of dangerous storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of next week,” the weather agency said in a forecast discussion.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday had declared a state of emergency for 24 counties when the system was a tropical depression.
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