Hurricane Ian packs 'catastrophic' storm surge threat made worse by climate change

Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall along Florida's southwest coast on Wednesday, bringing with it a potentially catastrophic 12-foot storm surge made worse by rising sea levels.

The National Hurricane Center posted a forecast on Tuesday showing that a section of coastline south of the bay could see up to 12 feet of storm surge as Ian approaches.

There will be life threatening storm surge and catastrophic flooding in some areas. It's not something you want to be a part of.

Strengthening to a Category 3 storm on Tuesday, Ian was expected to intensify into a monster Category 4 storm by the end of the day. The storm surge it creates will remain a serious threat due to rising seal levels, even if the storm weakens slightly before hitting.

Climate change and Ian overlap with king tides.

Sea levels around Florida have risen on average 8 inches since 1950, with the majority of that rise coming in recent years as global temperatures have sped up the melting of the polar ice caps. The ocean has risen in St. Pete by 9 inches due to a variety of factors

A dangerous situation will be made worse by the additional water.

The National Hurricane Center said in an advisory that a storm surge warning is in effect for much of the Florida west coast. If an order is made for your area, residents in these areas should follow it.

There has been an increase in the number of mandatory evacuated in the nine counties.

Storm surge is one of the threats from Ian, which is expected to pack winds over 100 miles per hour when it arrives. It could cause a lot of rain on the west coast.

For years scientists have warned that Florida, the flattest state in the US, faces extreme risks due to climate change.

The second-fastest growing county in the U.S. sits at an elevation of just 10 feet above sea level. South Florida can expect another 11 inches of sea level rise by the year 2040 due to rising temperatures caused by the burning of fossil fuels, according to forecasts. Warming waters will intensify hurricanes at a faster rate than before.