The American state of Florida is preparing for Hurricane “Ian”, which has already wreaked havoc on Cuba. “Predictions are subject to change, but for now the experts are saying this could be a very severe hurricane, life threatening and with devastating effects,” said US President Joe Biden. “Ian” is expected to hit land on Wednesday evening (local time).
The cyclone is heading toward Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category 3 out of 5 hurricane. Meteorologists warned “Ian” will gain strength over the warm Gulf of Mexico and could reach sustained wind speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called on residents to protect themselves. Evacuation instructions apply to 2.5 million people. No one should believe that this time it will turn out lightly again, because that has often been the case in the past, according to DeSantis.
Sheet piling is being erected in front of the hospital in Tampa to protect against the feared masses of water
The region expected to be affected by the storm has probably not experienced such a hurricane for around 100 years, warned Deanne Criswell from the American disaster control agency Fema. Experts are also worried that in the past few decades, construction in the region has been getting closer and closer to the water. Floods could damage or destroy many buildings. Flooding and tornadoes are also to be expected in the interior of the country, the weather service said.
Police officers are stationed at bases across the state
The US Department of Defense said more than 3,200 members of the Florida National Guard have been activated, with another 1,800 standing by if needed. Disney announced that it would be closing its theme parks and water parks in Orlando this Wednesday and Thursday as a precaution. Other recreational facilities, beaches, numerous shops and schools in Florida will also remain closed on both days. Airlines cut more than 2,000 connections because of the storm.
Cuba is without electricity
“Ian” had previously caused great damage in Cuba. He had hit land with wind speeds of up to 205 kilometers per hour. There was a power outage across Cuba.
A woman in her destroyed home in San Juan y Martinez
For this reason, information from the particularly affected areas is only gradually becoming public. First photos showed a picture of great destruction. Many houses and streets are under water or badly damaged, trees have been uprooted.
se/fab (dpa, ap, rtr)
