The eyewall of Hurricane Ian moved onshore to Sanibel and Captiva Islands off the coast of Southeast Florida at around noon on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said in an update. The Category 4 storm is expected to churn up the state over the next few days and has the potential to create “catastrophic damage” from high winds and “widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flash, urban, and river flooding,” according to the NHC. Here’s how Florida is preparing for the storm.
Evacuation Orders
At least 14 counties in Florida have issued evacuation orders—some mandatory, others optional—over the past few days, according to the New York Times. These orders affect some 2.5 million people, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Hillsborough County, the fourth-largest county by population in the state, issued mandatory evacuation orders for parts of Tampa and surrounding coastal regions as well as mobile homes; residents were ordered to leave these areas by 9 p.m. Tuesday. Pasco County, which is north of Hillsborough, issued mandatory orders on Monday for residents in a certain zone as well as folks living in mobile homes, low-lying areas, or places prone to flooding, or for those living in homes that have historically experienced flooding. Other counties, including Pinellas County and Manatee County, also have mandatory orders for some regions; some counties, including Taylor County, Highlands County, and Collier County, have issued voluntary evacuation orders. Most of these counties are maintaining a list of shelters for evacuees on their websites.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference Wednesday morning that for some counties, it is now too late to evacuate, and residents should shelter in place.
“It’s time to hunker down and prepare for this storm,” he said. “This is a powerful storm that should be treated like a tornado was approaching your home. This is going to be a nasty, nasty day or two days. This is going to be a rough stretch.”
Evacuations have caused some traffic jams in the Tampa Bay area, but overall, traffic is much lighter than it was during Hurricane Irma in 2017, which affected 6.5 million people and caused a historic “mass exodus” from the state, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Just because a mandatory order is in place does not mean all Floridians heeded the warnings. Many residents of counties that were being advised to evacuate chose to remain in their homes and wait out the storm.
“I am scared. But we are prepared,” Molly Capiga, a resident of North Fort Myers, told the New York Times of her decision to stay in her home—a decision she was beginning to regret as water was already entering her outdoor shed on Tuesday. “I do not think that Florida has the infrastructure to facilitate an orderly evacuation and did not want to get caught in traffic and run out of gas.”
School Closures
Nearly 60 K-12 school systems across the state will be closed for at least Wednesday and Thursday; many will remain shut through the remainder of the week, according to an updated list posted on the Florida Department of Education website. Some 35 colleges and universities will also be shut during the storm.
The New York Times reported that many of the public schools are serving as evacuation shelters, which may prolong their reopening times. Students at Florida State University in Tallahassee who need to remain in their dorms are being advised to follow a “shelter in place” protocol.
Tourism and Travel
Tourism is the fourth-largest industry in Florida, and the industry is responding to the storm. Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay; Disney World, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, Universal Resort, and Crayola Experience in Orlando; Legoland in Winter Park; and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island all said they will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to the storm. Three of Florida’s zoos have also closed in preparation for Ian.
Florida’s airports are also making preparations. Major airports including the Tampa International Airport, Orlando International Airport, and St. Pete-Clearwater International have all shuttered in advance of Ian. Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport are staying open, but both airports have issued a slew of flight cancellations in advance of the storm. Several cruise lines also have changed their schedules to avoid the worst of the storm.
