As Hurricane Ian strengthened into a Category 2 over the Caribbean, authorities in Florida on Monday ordered the evacuation of around 300,000 people at risk of potentially deadly storm surges in the Tampa Bay region.
Ian is currently expected to make landfall over the Florida Panhandle on the state’s west coast on Thursday. Its intensity and trajectory are uncertain, but there are predictions it could become a Category 4.
With storm surges forecast for Tampa Bay, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor instituted a mandatory evacuation for Zone A effective 2 p.m. on Monday.
“Basically, that’s everybody who lives along the water,” she said in a video message. “So if you have a place to go right now, just do it early so you don’t have to worry about anything else,” she added….