Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hurricane Ian: Florida fears catastrophic flooding as storm nears

Hurricane Ian: Florida fears catastrophic flooding as storm nears

Residents in Florida are anxiously bracing for life-threatening tidal surges, floods and winds as Hurricane Ian approaches.
The storm has already thrashed western Cuba and is expected to intensify before it makes landfall in Florida.

The Tampa Bay region, which is home to more than three million people, is among the most vulnerable places in the US for severe flooding.

The region could see its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

"It's been around 100 years since Tampa had a direct hit. They've just been lucky for a long time," said Erik Salna, associate director of the International Hurricane Research Center.

Low elevation, rising sea levels, and a large population increase the risk of a catastrophic tidal surge. The Tampa area has all three, according to Mr Salna.

If hit directly, the region could be "unrecognizable" in the next couple of days, he said. "The potential is there."

Hurricane Ian - currently a category three storm, packing winds up to 195km/h (120mph) - is forecast to gain strength as it moves northbound into Florida, passing over the Gulf of Mexico's warm water on the way.

Tornados have been seen in southern Florida, the National Weather Service said, as Ian approaches the coast. Winds could reach up to 140mph before it makes landfall.

Ian is likely to lose speed as it nears Florida, effectively prolonging the storm's effects and threatening up to 20in (1.6ft) of rain in some areas.

And if it does hit Tampa, it will strike one of the state's most densely populated areas.

Over the last 50 years, development has surged along the Tampa region's nearly 700 miles (1,1200km) of shoreline, with people and buildings scattered along the mostly low-lying beach.

"We've moved toward the coast, we've moved toward the water. This is, in its own way, a human nature trainwreck," said Richard Olson, director of the extreme events institute at Florida International University (FIU).

More than 2.5m Florida residents in a number of coastal towns and cities have begun to evacuate, with police going door-to-door in some areas and pleading with people to leave. Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor said on Tuesday that the city would also be implementing a curfew for remaining residents.

"My constant worry is under-evacuation," said Mr Olson. "People say they're going to stay there and wait it out, it just scares me."

The National Hurricane Center said there was a 100% chance of damaging winds and water along Florida's west coast, issuing a hurricane warning 175 miles wide, from Bonita Beach in the south to Anclote River, north of Tampa.

Residents have been buying water bottles in bulk, boarding up windows and moving garden furniture inside. Schools and universities have also canceled classes for the week.

Theme parks such as Disney World, Sea World and Busch Gardens in Tampa are closing as the storm bears down, while Nasa has postponed the launch of a moon rocket at Kennedy Space Center.

"This is not a drill," Mayor Castor said. "I don't know that it can get much worse, but I'm sure that there's a scenario that it can."

On one flight to Tampa on Tuesday, returning residents discussed the approaching storm. "Oh, you're right in the center of it," one man remarked to a couple living just south of Tampa.

As flights landed, mobile phone alerts blared notifying residents of mandatory evacuation orders across the region.

In the airport, one man said he had not faced the prospect of a hurricane like this in his 43 years of living in the area. "It's the calm before the storm," he said.

The hope for Tampa residents is that the storm moves slightly south, making landfall in the less-populous Fort Myers region.

"I toyed with the idea of writing a disaster movie - a storm goes across Cuba, becomes intense, goes up the west coast of Florida - you know how those movies go," said Hugh Willoughby, a meteorology professor at FIU.

Instead, he told the BBC that Florida's Gulf Coast may suffer a real-world disaster. "It's probably not going to be the worst case scenario, but it's potentially a really bad situation."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×