Hurricane Ian nears Florida landfall with 155 mph winds

The. U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 5 a.m. Wednesday that Ian now has top sustained winds of 140 mph and is centered about 75 miles west-southwest of Naples, Florida.

Tropical_Weather_79244 This image provided by FLDOT shows an emergency vehicle traveling on the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

FDOT via AP

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_95471** Guests wait for tram transportation at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World after the park closed early to accommodate an evening special event, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando all announced Tuesday that they will be closed Wednesday and Thursday due to the weather conditions caused by Hurricane Ian.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_72660** Eric Byrd hands a sandbag to Clifford Coston while working to fill people’s trucks at a sandbag station at Northwest Park, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla., as Hurricane Ian approaches.

**APTOPIX_Tropical_Weather_31251** Ash Dugney views Tampa Bay on the Ballast Point Pier ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_06237** This GOES-East GeoCcolor satellite image taken at 10:10 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico. Ian tore into western Cuba as a major hurricane Tuesday, knocking out power to the entire country and leaving millions people without electricity, before churning on a collision course with Florida over warm Gulf waters amid expectations it would strengthen into a catastrophic Category 4 storm.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_68355** This GOES-East GeoColor satellite image taken at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida. Hurricane Ian’s most damaging winds began hitting Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_68355** This GOES-East GeoColor satellite image taken at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2022, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida. Hurricane Ian’s most damaging winds began hitting Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_47269** An uprooted tree, toppled by strong winds from the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, rests in a parking lot of a shopping center, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Cooper City, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_83792** Airplanes overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian are shown, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_06747** Access roads to the Sunshine Skyway bridge are blocked off as the span is closed due to high winds from Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_05042** American Airlines check-in counters are closed at Orlando International Airport ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Orlando, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_25234** Bob Burnett, 77, looks on as his son Bobby Burnett, 42, takes pictures of the pier as Tampa Bay is draining in a reverse storm surge with Hurricane Ian expected to make landfall this afternoon on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022 in St. Petersburg, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_73080** From left: Hilton employees Louie Fonseca, Frankie Monica, Bryan Kinbacher and Jaime Miranda use rope to secure the front door at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fort Myers, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**APTOPIX_Tropical_Weather_83668** An airplane overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian is shown, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_59712** Ivan Mendoza begins to repair damage at his mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_42830** People walk on the Ballast Point Pier ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian’s most damaging winds have begun hitting Florida’s southwest coast as the storm approaches landfall.

**Tropical_Weather_63866** Boats in Tampa Bay lie in the mud as water is receding from the bay ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_93461** A woman looks at her phone on the Ballast Point Pier on Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_43431** Waves crash along the Ballast Point Pier ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian’s most damaging winds have begun hitting Florida’s southwest coast as the storm approaches landfall.

**Tropical_Weather_18337** City of Hollywood employee Martin Lisi carries a snapped-off stop sign to his truck in Hollywood, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_27998** People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay due to a negative surge ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_56994** A couple walks along the waterfront that is seeing the effects of Hurricane Ian Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_56604** Boaters secure dock lines to secure a boat due to a low tide from the effects of Hurricane Ian Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_54499** The entrance to the Walt Disney theme park is seen as the park is closed as Hurricane Ian bears down on Florida, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

**APTOPIX_Tropical_Weather_38582** Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_37429** A woman takes photos of the surf on Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_59195** A man walks near Ballast Point Pier as water moves away from shore as Hurricane Ian begins to move into the area, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in , Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_31251** Ash Dugney views Tampa Bay on the Ballast Point Pier ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**APTOPIX_Cuba_Tropical_Weather_27612** A classic American car drives past utility poles tilted by Hurricane Ian in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022.

**Tropical_Weather__20430** Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot in The Villages of Sumter County, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified as it neared landfall along Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_19745** Gary and Sharon Adams clear their yard of debris in Hollywood, Fla., on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, where residents say a tornado touched down overnight. Hurricane Ian has strengthened with maximum winds at 155 mph and is now expected to make landfall on the Southwest coast of Florida near Sarasota.

**Tropical_Weather_59624** Electronic screens are seen at the Orlando International Airport as the facility starts to cease operations ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in , Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_04535** A traveler rests on a couch at the Orlando Airport prior to the facility being closed ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Travelers will be sent to a shelter as the airport will be closed.

**Tropical_Weather_52626** People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay due to a negative surge ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.

**Tropical_Weather_52071** This image provided by NASA shows Hurricane Ian seen below the International Space Station as the storm was gaining strength south of Cuba and moving toward Florida at around 3pm ET on Monday, Sept 26, 2022.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_08694** Guests depart the ferry boat transportation at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World after the park closed early to accommodate an evening special event, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando all announced Tuesday that they will be closed Wednesday and Thursday due to the weather conditions caused by Hurricane Ian.

**Tropical_Weather_57951** U.S. Air Force helicopters are gathered inside the Orange County Convention Center on Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022. They were staging in preparation for Hurricane Ian, which is approaching Florida’s west coast.

**Tropical_Weather_Florida_36920** Tourists and residents stroll White Street pier, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2022, in Key West, Fla. Hurricane Ian was forecast to strengthen even more over warm Gulf of Mexico waters, reaching top winds of 140 mph (225 kmh) as it approaches the Florida’s southwest coast.

**Tropical_Weather_04358** This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Ian off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian has rapidly intensified off Florida’s coast, gaining top winds of 155 mph, just shy of the most devastating Category 5 hurricane status.

**Tropical_Weather_38582** Zuram Rodriguez surveys the damage around her mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_53440** Ivan Mendoza surveys the damage at his mobile home in Davie, Fla., early Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday morning, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_61284** This Satellite image provided by NASA on Sept. 26, 2022, shows Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

**Tropical_Weather_67904** This Satellite image provided by NASA on Sept. 26, 2022, shows Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida. Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified off Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, Sept. 28, gaining top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), just shy of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., (AP) — Hurricane Ian’s most damaging winds began hitting Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.

Fueled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm trudged on a track that would have it making landfall north of the heavily populated Fort Myers area, which forecasters said could be inundated by a storm surge of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters).

“This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, stressing that people in Ian’s path along the coast should rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there.

Ian menaced Florida after bringing destruction Tuesday to western Cuba, where two people were reported dead and the storm brought down the country’s electrical grid.

Ian’s center was about 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Fort Myers at 1 p.m. Wednesday, as it churned toward toward the coast at 9 mph (15 kph). Ian’s plodding pace meant the storm was expected to spend a day or more crawling across the Florida peninsula, dumping flooding rains of 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 centimeters) across a broad area including Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville in the state’s northeast corner.

Catastrophic storm surges could push 12 feet (3.6 meters) of water or more across more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) of coastline, from Bonita Beach to Englewood, the hurricane center warned.

“It’s going to get a lot worse very quickly. So please hunker down,” DeSantis said.

Off the coast on Sanibel Island near Fort Myers, swirling water covered residential streets and was halfway up mailbox posts by mid-morning. Seawater rushed out of Tampa Bay, leaving parts of the muddy bottom exposed, and waves crashed over the end of a wooden pier at Naples.

Ian’s rapid strengthening caused Fort Myers handyman Tom Hawver to abandon his plan to weather the hurricane at home and head across the state to Fort Lauderdale.

“We were going to stay and then just decided when we got up, and they said 155 mph winds,” Hawver said. “We don’t have a generator. I just don’t see the advantage of sitting there in the dark, in a hot house, watching water come in your house.”

More than 2.5 million people were under mandatory evacuation orders, but by law no one could be forced to flee. The governor said the state has 30,000 linemen, urban search and rescue teams, and 7,000 National Guard troops from Florida and elsewhere ready to help once the weather clears.

Florida residents rushed ahead of the impact to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and join long lines of cars leaving the shore.

Some chose to stay and ride out the storm. Jared Lewis, a Tampa delivery driver, said his home has withstood hurricanes in the past, though not as powerful as Ian.

“It is kind of scary, makes you a bit anxious,” Lewis said. “After the last year of not having any, now you go to a Category 4 or 5. We are more used to the 2s and 3s.”

Forecasters predicted Ian would make landfall more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Tampa and St. Petersberg, likely sparing the densely populated Tampa Bay area from its first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

Officials warned residents that Tampa could still experience powerful winds and up to 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain.

“Please, please, please be aware that we are not out of danger yet,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a video on Twitter. “Flooding is still going to occur.”

During the night, Ian went through a natural cycle when it lost its old eye and formed a new one. The timing was bad for the Florida coast, because the storm got stronger and larger — 120 mph (193 kph) to 155 mph (250 kph) — with landfall just a few hours away.

The size of the storm also grew, with tropical storm force winds extending 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the hurricane’s center.

“With the higher intensity you’re going to see more extensive wind damage,” University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said. “The larger wind field means that more people will experience those storm-force winds.”

The most damaging winds could hit a coastline where the population has jumped sevenfold since 1970, according to the U.S. Census.

Ash Dugney warily watched ocean water being sucked out below a Tampa Bay pier Wednesday morning. He said he didn’t trust Tampa’s storm drainage system to keep his corner tuxedo rental business safe from flooding that he said has happened even during mild storms.

“I don’t care about the wind and the rain and the stuff like that, I just care about the flooding,” Dugney said, adding that he moved essentials out of the shop and moved other items up to above waist-high level.

Flash floods were possible across all of Florida. Hazards include the polluted leftovers of Florida’s phosphate fertilizer mining industry, more than 1 billion tons of slightly radioactive waste contained in enormous ponds that could overflow in heavy rains.

Forecasters placed roughly 120 miles (193 kilometers) of central Florida’s east coast under a hurricane warning Wednesday, signaling that Ian may remain a hurricane longer than previously expected as it moves inland.

Isolated tornadoes were spinning off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast.

More than 450,000 homes and businesses were without electricity, and Florida Power and Light warned those in Ian’s path to brace for days without power.

The federal government sent 300 ambulances with medical teams and was ready to truck in 3.7 million meals and 3.5 million liters of water once the storm passes.

“We’ll be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again,” President Joe Biden said Wednesday. “And we’ll be there every step of the way. That’s my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.”

Parts of Georgia and South Carolina also could see flooding rains and some coastal surge into Saturday. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp preemptively declared an emergency, ordering 500 National Guard troops onto standby.

___

Associated Press contributors include Christina Mesquita in Havana, Cuba; Cody Jackson and Adriana Gomez Licon in Tampa, Florida; Freida Frisaro in Miami; Anthony Izaguirre in Tallahassee, Florida; Mike Schneider in Orlando, Florida; Seth Borenstein and Aamer Madhani in Washington; Bobby Caina Calvan in New York; Andrew Welsh-Huggins in Columbus, Ohio; and Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama.

Hurricane Ian nears Florida landfall with 155 mph winds

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