Ian causes “catastrophic” floods in Florida

Tropical Cyclone Ian continued to barrel across Florida on Thursday morning, causing “catastrophic” flooding in the state’s east-central regions, according to the National Hurricane Center, which warned that the storm could “produce life-threatening flooding, storm surge, and gusty winds across portions of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.”

Ian, one of the strongest storms to ever strike the United States, made landfall in southwestern Florida as a significant Category 4 hurricane, barely shy of a Category 5.

It left individuals stranded in their houses and large portions of the state without electricity. According to poweroutage.us, about 2.6 million households and businesses were without power just after 8:00 a.m. EDT on March 20, 2019.

According to the hurricane center, Ian’s core was “Soon after leaving the east-central coast of Florida, the storm is projected to strike the coast of South Carolina on Friday. Friday night and Saturday, the center of the storm will travel further onshore through the Carolinas. Some re-intensification is anticipated, and Ian could approach hurricane intensity by Friday as it approaches the coast of South Carolina. After Ian advances inland on Friday night and Saturday, a weakening is anticipated.”

The center reported, “Central Florida will continue to see widespread, life-threatening, catastrophic flash and urban flooding, as well as substantial to record-breaking river flooding. Tomorrow into the weekend, widespread significant flash, urban, and river flooding is anticipated across sections of northeast Florida, southeast Georgia, and eastern South Carolina.”

As of Thursday morning at 8:00 a.m. EDT, the center of Ian’s storm was 40 miles east of Orlando and 10 miles west of Cape Canaveral. It was traveling to the northeast at 8 mph, with sustained winds of up to 65 mph. A storm must have sustained winds of 74 mph in order to qualify as a hurricane.

Massive flooding is caused by Hurricane Ian in Florida. 02:13

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