Posted on 09/26/2022 3:02:30 PM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Ian was growing stronger as it barreled toward Cuba on a track to hit Florida’s west coast as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday.
Ian was forecast to hit the western tip of Cuba as a major hurricane and then become an even stronger Category 4 with top winds of 140 mph (225 km/h) over warm Gulf of Mexico waters before striking Florida.
As of Monday, Tampa and St. Petersburg appeared to be the among the most likely targets for their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.
“Please treat this storm seriously. It’s the real deal. This is not a drill,” Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director Timothy Dudley said at a news conference on storm preparations in Tampa.
Authorities in Cuba were evacuating 50,000 people in Pinar del Rio province, sent in medical and emergency personnel, and took steps to protect food and other crops in warehouses, according to state media.
“Cuba is expecting extreme hurricane-force winds, also life threatening storm surge and heavy rainfall,” U.S. National Hurricane Center senior specialist Daniel Brown told The Associated Press early Monday.
The hurricane center predicted areas of Cuba’s western coast could see as much as 14 feet (4.3 meters) of storm surge Monday night or early Tuesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Jim Cantore with the weather channel will soon be on his way with the big fans, yellow rain coat and buckets of water to scare you into “climate change” while he broadcasts from safety in an disclosed location.
I’m not kidding….watched him ramp up the “danger” many times broadcasting from a few miles away while we locals were enjoying sunny beautiful weather. He’s a complete fraud.
My family is right there with ya.
I hope my sister has decent coverage, though, I sorta doubt it. Maybe. If we get lucky. Not her strong suit.
rats are happy
Current dewpoints Florida’s panhandle are running in the upper 40s which indicates lots of cool dry air is entrenched very far south. Once that air gets pulled into the storm it will KILL the hurricane.
here’s the current water vapor loop.
https://www.tropicaltidbits.com/sat/satlooper.php?region=gom&product=wv_mid
It does appear to be a close call as to whether enough of that dry air will be pulled into the storm in time.
the high pressure may push the whole thing further east if Ian keeps slowing
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