Hurricane Ian A Dangerous Threat To Florida, Including Tampa And Fort Myers Areas 

Wonder Vacation Homes is closely monitoring every development related to Hurricane Ian. We have been putting all of our units and guests through the same safety precautions we usually take starting yesterday.

Please check latest news below and we will bring updates constantly:

H​urricane Ian has now emerged into the Gulf of Mexico and is headed for a dangerous strike on Florida after hammering western Cuba at Category 3 intensity.

I​an rapidly intensified into a major hurricane at 2:30 a.m. EDT and then made landfall in western Cuba two hours later. 

A​ny final preparations for Ian in Florida should be rushed to completion today since conditions will deteriorate over the next 12 to 24 hours.

H​ere’s a look at the latest status and forecast.

Ian’s center has now emerged into the southeast Gulf of Mexico after raking across western Cuba. Storm surge flooding, heavy rain and damaging winds lashed Cuba’s western provinces late Monday into Tuesday in what was far western Cuba’s first Category 3 landfall in 14 years. Hurricane conditions are still ongoing in western Cuba.

Bands of rain containing gusty winds are lashing South Florida and the Florida Keys. Winds have gusted from 40 to 50 mph in Key West Tuesday.

A​ tornado watch is in effect for South Florida and the Keys until 5 p.m. EDT. 

Current Watches, Warnings

Hurricane warnings (shaded in purple in the map below) are in effect for parts of Florida’s West Coast and some degree inland, including Tampa-St. Petersburg and Fort Myers. This means hurricane conditions are expected by Wednesday morning, with tropical storm winds possibly arriving later Tuesday.

A hurricane warning is also in effect for parts of western Cuba, meaning hurricane conditions are ongoing.

A storm surge warning is also in effect along much of Florida’s west coast, from the mouth of the Suwanee River to the southwesternmost tip of the Peninsula, including Tampa Bay, and also on the Atlantic side of northeast Florida from Marineland to the Georgia state line, meaning life-threatening flooding from rising water moving inland from the coastline is expected.

A storm surge watch extends northward into Taylor County, Florida on the Gulf side and the Georgia and South Carolina coasts on the Atlantic side, as well as the Florida Keys. This means dangerous storm surge is possible in 48 hours or less.

Tropical storm warnings and watches extend inland in the Florida Peninsula, and stretch northeast along and near the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, as you can see in the map below.

Forecast Path, Intensity

Here is the latest forecast path of Ian, according to the National Hurricane Center. This has been trending south and east over the last day or two.

Some additional strengthening is forecast on Wednesday, but then Ian could lose some wind intensity as it encounters increased wind shear and possibly some dry air as it nears Florida. That said, Ian will still be a large and dangerous major hurricane as it approaches the coast.

W​here the center of Ian makes landfall on Wednesday or Thursday will be critical for where the greatest storm surge pushes into the coast. Damaging winds and flooding rainfall are likely in a much broader area of the Florida Peninsula regardless of the final track.

The track could be a near worst-case storm surge scenario for the Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater area if Ian follows a path near the left side of the cone of uncertainty.

A​ track on the right side of the path could send the worst storm surge farther south toward Charlotte Harbor and Fort Myers.

R​ainfall

Heavy rainfall is a threat from the Florida Peninsula into portions of the Southeast from now through the weekend.

Here’s the latest rainfall forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

-Florida Keys and South Florida: 4 to 6 inches, with locally up to 8 inches.

-Central West Florida: 12 to 16 inches, with locally up to 24 inches.

-Northeast Florida and the remainder of the central Florida Peninsula: 5 to 10 inches, with locally up to 12 inches.

-​Multi-inch rainfall totals are also possible in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.

This heavy rain is likely to trigger flash flooding, especially in urban areas, and river flooding.

Water pushing in from the Gulf could act as a temporary roadblock to rain-swollen rivers that normally drain to the Gulf, compounding flooding along and near the western Florida Gulf Coast.

Ian will then move inland over the Southeast U.S., spreading heavy rain, some winds and the potential for isolated tornadoes later Friday into the weekend. 

(​MORE: Ian A Gulf Coast Danger Regardless of Its ‘Category’)

All interests in the Florida Peninsula should monitor Ian’s forecast and have their hurricane plans in place. Heed any evacuation orders from local emergency management and make sure you’re prepared for potential long-lived power outages.

C​heck back with us at weather.com for the very latest on this developing situation.

Source : Weather Channel

more info about hurricane Ian, pls follow official links :

https://www.osceola.org/agencies-departments/emergency-management/hurricane-center/

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov

https://www.floridadisaster.org

Stay Safe, Wonder Vacation Homes Team