Millions of people were displaced by a category 4 storm that hit Florida on Wednesday.
Corryn Wetzel is a writer.
The west coast of Florida was hit by Hurricane Ian.
Hurricane Ian made a direct hit on the west coast of Florida at 1pm eastern time on Wednesday.
When the storm hit Florida, it was moving at 16 kilometres per hour. According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to make its way to the north before making a U-turn.
It's obvious that this storm is very dangerous. At the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health yesterday, US President Joe Biden stated that it was life threatening. The danger is real and the storm warnings are real.
Millions of people were ordered to leave their homes in the path of the storm. Ian was close to the most dangerous category 5 threshold, with wind speeds up to 250 kilometres per hour.
Storm surge is caused by strong winds pushing waves of sea water inland. Surges as high as 3.5 to 5.5 metres above ground level are expected on the west coast of the state.
The south-west part of the state was predicted to get 60 centimetres of rain, which resulted in unprecedented flooding. The National Weather Service predicts that most of the state will get some rain over the next three days.
People in Florida are expected to lose power. Ian knocked out power for 11 million people in Cuba before it made its way to Florida.
Hundreds of personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and thousands from the National Guard will be on the ground in Florida in the wake of the storm.
Ian is expected to weaken as it travels through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Ian is a storm that is likely to get more severe due to climate change.
There are more on this topic.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
