Tampa Bay readies for ‘storm of the century’ as Hurricane Ian strengthens

Sep 27, 2022

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ben Burke (Producer/Editor)

Hurricane Ian is being called the “storm of the century” as it is projected to be the strongest system to hit the Tampa Bay area in more than 100 years. Ian struck Cuba in the early morning hours Tuesday as a Category 3 hurricane.

As it makes its way through the warm Gulf of Mexico, Ian is expected to pick up to a strong Category 4. The National Hurricane Center is projecting Tampa as the likely landing point when Hurricane Ian hits Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis said 7,000 National Guardsmen are ready to deploy. Hurricane Ian is projected to hit the coastline by Thursday.

“Property damage, and these things, it’s terrible that would happen in a storm, but we can fix that,” DeSantis said. “We can help rebuild, but you’ve got to take care of yourself, and we want to make sure everyone is safe.”

Highways and routes out of Florida are stacked with residents evacuating. About 300,000 residents in Tampa have already been told to leave. Millions of others in surrounding counties are under similar evacuation orders. Predictions of what’s to come include massive power outages, 130-mile-per-hour winds, and up to 18 inches of rain, which will likely lead to flood waters up to 10 feet deep in low lying areas of Tampa Bay.

IT’S BEING CALLED “THE STORM OF A CENTURY.”
HURRICANE IAN IS PROJECTED TO BE THE STRONGEST SYSTEM TO HIT THE TAMPA BAY AREA IN MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS.
TRACKING ITS PATH…
IAN STRUCK CUBA IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS AS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE.
AS IT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH THE WARM GULF OF MEXICO…IT’S EXPECTED TO PICK UP TO A STRONG CATEGORY FOUR.
THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER SAYS TAMPA IS LIKELY WHERE IAN WILL INTERCEPT FLORIDA.
FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS SAYS SEVEN THOUSAND NATIONAL GUARDSMEN ARE READY TO DEPLOY.
HURRICANE IAN IS PROJECTED TO HIT THE COASTLINE BY THURSDAY.
[GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS (R-FL)]
“Property damage, and these things, it’s terrible that would happen in a storm, but we can fix that, we can help rebuild, but you’ve got to take care of yourself and we want to make sure everyone is safe.”
HIGHWAYS ARE STACKED WITH RESIDENTS EVACUATING.
300 THOUSAND RESIDENTS IN TAMPA HAVE ALREADY BEEN TOLD TO LEAVE.
MILLIONS OF OTHERS IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE UNDER SIMILAR EVACUATION ORDERS.
PREDICTIONS OF WHAT’S TO COME INCLUDE MASSIVE POWER OUTAGES. 130 MILE PER HOUR WINDS.
AND UP TO 18 INCHES OF RAIN…WHICH AMOUNTS TO FLOOD WATERS UP TO 10 FEET DEEP IN LOW LYING AREAS OF TAMPA BAY.