Weather & Science
Hurricane Ian Spurs Evacuations as Airports, Schools Shut
- Damages could exceed $45 billion with Florida landfall
- More than 2 million Floridians urged to evacuate Orange State
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Hurricane Ian, projected to be one of the costliest storms in US history, prompted mass evacuations, school shutdowns and thousands of flight cancellations across the third-largest state.
The storm, which has already caused a nationwide power outage in Cuba, has top winds near 120 mph as it swirls over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, about 95 miles (153 kilometers) from Naples, Florida, according to an advisory from the US National Hurricane Center at 2 a.m. New York time. The storm is forecast to strengthen through Wednesday, threatening to bring 6-foot storm surges into Tampa Bay and heavy rains across the US Southeast.