Hurricane Ian is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane before hitting the island of Cuba and Florida later this week as residents brace for heavy rainfall, flooding and other life threatening storm conditions just a week after the first Hurricane to make landfall in the U.S.
Shoppers walk to join a line stretching beyond the parking lot outside of a store.
Ian is projected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm before hitting the west coast of Florida on Wednesday.
According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm, which became a Category 1 Hurricane early Monday, is expected to make a brief appearance in western Cuba Monday night and early Tuesday as a Category 3 storm.
The governor of Florida has declared a state of emergency in order to prepare for the storm.
The center of the storm is located to the south of Cuba and to the west of the Cayman islands.
As much as six inches of rain is expected in some parts of the Florida Keys, while a storm surge of as much as eight feet and 10 inches of rain is expected in the bay area.
During an uncharacteristically quiet season, the US became the first country in the world to be hit by a Category 1 Hurricane. The storm killed at least 16 people and left more than a million households without electricity for days in Puerto Rico.
Ian has caused watches and warnings for Dry Tortugas, the Florida Keys and Grand Cayman, and parts of the west coast of Florida. Jamie Rhome, the acting director of the National Hurricane Center, said on Sunday that the storm is expected to be a large and powerful one. Ian could cause flash flooding in Cuba. The president has declared an emergency in 24 Florida counties. Ian is the fourth named storm of the Atlantic season and could become the second Hurricane to hit the US this year. August was the first time in 25 years that there was no storm in the Atlantic.
Ian is on a path to hit Florida.
As its path begins to take shape, Hurricane Ian strengthens.
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