Ian-coming!
Girding for what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a “major” hurricane, Tampa officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for portions of the city Monday morning.
“We did not make this decision easily, but the storm poses a serious threat, and we must do everything we can to protect our residents,” Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise said at a press conference.
The order ahead of Hurricane Ian’s landfall impacts roughly 300,000 residents. The hurricane had reached 85mph winds by monday afternoon as Cuba and the Florida Keys braced to be the first places it would make landfall.
Winds are expected to reach 120mph making it a major hurricane as it grows and heads north across Western Florida.
Locals had already begun hoarding water and other supplies over the weekend, and reports circulated late Monday morning that gas stations were seeing long lines and limited supplies.
Wise recommended that evacuees seek shelter at least 20 miles inland rather than rely on limited and often crowded shelter space.
Florida localities assign hurricane risk through an A through F zone system, with zone A being the most vulnerable and F the least.
Local officials had issued an A category for evacuation in some areas of the Tampa bay while others came under B category for voluntary evacuation.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said his department would be increasing patrols in evacuated areas to protect against property crimes and other disruptions.
The Hillsborough County School District was one of ten Florida districts to shutter their buildings this week with Ian’s approach.
“This is a really, really big hurricane,” DeSantis said at a Monday morning briefing, noting that Ian currently stretched 500 miles wide and is currently expansive enough to impact the entire state.
He predicted heavy flooding in Tampa specifically, and said additional medical personnel, ambulances, generators and water pumps have been deployed to the area.
Statewide, DeSantis said 5,000 Florida National Guard members have been activated, along with 2,000 additional troops from nearby states including Georgia and Tennessee.
Search and rescue teams are also being marshaled across the state.
Officials urged residents to prepare appropriately without clearing out shelves.
“There’s no need to panic buy,” DeSantis said, noting that state officials are coordinating with major retailers to ensure that stock remains plentiful should Ian restrict supplies.
He also counseled Sunshine Staters to assemble whatever medicines and prescriptions they might require for the next 30 days.
DeSantis warned of heavy traffic should evacuation orders spread across the state as Ian bears down.
“When you have millions of people in a metro area, no matter how it’s done, you’re going to have traffic,” he said. “That’s just the reality.”
