Tropical Storm Ian has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches western Cuba, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday.
“Ian is becoming a hurricane,” the NHC said in a recommendation, warning that “additional rapid reinforcement is expected today.”
The storm was moving northwest toward Cuba and the Cayman Islands with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour, the NHC said.
It added that western Cuba was expected to bear the brunt of the storm on Monday if it could be hit by “significant wind and storm surge effects.”
People in Florida also braced for the storm’s impending arrival, with the NHC issuing a hurricane watch for the state’s west coast, including Tampa Bay.
On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared states of emergency in all 67 counties as officials scramble to prepare for the storm.
“Expect heavy rains, strong winds, flash floods, storm surges and even isolated tornadoes,” DeSantis told reporters Sunday.
The governor urged residents to stock up on food, water, medicine and fuel and prepare for power outages.
DeSantis activated 2,500 National Guard members to help with the effort.
Authorities in several Florida communities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, began giving out free sandbags to residents to help them protect their homes from flood risks.
President Joe Biden authorized emergency assistance for 24 Florida counties through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“It’s never too early to prepare,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor tweeted.
– Fiona’s wake –
The Caribbean and parts of eastern Canada are still bearing the costs of powerful Storm Fiona, which swept through the region last week.
Fiona claimed seven lives as it sped through the Caribbean at the start of a week of chaos.
Upon arriving in eastern Canada, the storm gripped intense 80 mph (130 km) per hour winds, bringing torrential rain and waves up to 40 feet (12 meters).
Canadian authorities have now confirmed two deaths caused when Fiona struck as a post-tropical cyclone in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland early Saturday.
Prince Edward Island authorities on Sunday confirmed the death of one person, while Newfoundland officials said they had found the body of a 73-year-old woman who is believed to have been swept from her home. She was apparently hiding in her basement when waves broke through.
“The devastation is immense,” Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told reporters. “The magnitude of the storm is unbelievable.”
Storm surges have washed at least 20 homes into the sea in the town of Channel-Port aux Basques on the southwestern tip of Newfoundland.
Mayor Brian Button described “a total war zone” in the coastal community.
Around 200 residents had been evacuated before the storm.
“Some people have lost everything, and I mean everything,” Button told CBC News.
