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Hurricane Ian eyes Florida as powerful, dangerous storm

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Summary

Hurricane Ian takes aim at Florida bringing significant impacts to business operations this week.

Key Highlights

Threats: Heavy downpours, flash-flooding, storm surge, high winds, wind damage

States Affected: FL, AL, GA, SC, NC, VA, WV

When: Tuesday, September 27 - Monday, October 3

HURRICANE IAN INTENSIFIES

Hurricane Ian is now a major hurricane that made landfall in western Cuba early Tuesday morning and is pushing northward to the Gulf of Mexico headed for Florida.Ian zoom

Ian will slowly scrape up Florida's Gulf Coast before making landfall around the Tampa Bay area late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Impact-2

Due to the impacts of heavy rain and damaging winds, Hurricane Ian is a 4 in the northwestern Caribbean on the AccuWeather RealImpactTM Scale for Hurricanes, and a 3 for the U.S. Forecasters emphasize that Ian will bring dangerous impacts ahead of its landfall, including flooding rainfall, destructive winds, storm surge, and possible tornadoes.

Rain-Sep-27-2022-10-13-24-85-AM

Drenching tropical rainfall from Ian will continue for several days, bringing flooding across Florida. Up to 16 inches of rain is expected in parts of the state with an AccuWeather Local StormMaxTM of 30 inches.

Surge

A life-threatening storm surge is expected to span from the Fort Myers area northward through the Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay areas between Wednesday and Thursday. The storm surge threat for the Tampa Bay area will be highly dependent on where exactly the storm will make landfall.

Wind-Sep-27-2022-10-13-24-83-AM Ian's powerful and destructive winds will hit southern Florida by Tuesday. The strongest winds will remain offshores until Ian makes landfall. Persistent, intense winds will lead to wind damage across the state with an AccuWeather Local StormMax of up to 150 mph.

Businesses in Florida and surrounding states will need to keep a close eye on this storm as it approaches and should: 

  • Determine hazards your location is most vulnerable to during a hurricane
  • Perform a vulnerability assessment of all equipment, processes, and operations
  • Winds and flying debris will cut power, which may not be restored immediately
  • Stay away from floodwaters

Hurricanes are not just a problem along the coast; they can also impact businesses several hundred miles inland. Don't wait for an imminent hurricane or tropical storm to prepare your business for one. The message is clear: Start planning now. AccuWeather for business has several tools to help you prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes. 

Partner with us to weather the storm.

Demo SkyGuard today.

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