Forecasters are warning of storm surge.
Forecasters are warning of storm surge.
Hurricane Ian weakened to a tropical storm early Thursday as officials warned of a potentially "life-threatening" storm surge in parts of Florida, as well as "significant" flooding and dangerous flooding in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (right) said late Wednesday that while the storm may have reached its peak, "there will be statewide damage."
About 2.5 million customers in the state were still without power as of Thursday morning, according to online tracking site PowerOutage.us. The extent of damage to lives and property is unclear as strong winds have prevented first responders in the most flooded communities from carrying out rescue operations. DeSantis said a response would begin as soon as possible. The governors of Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina were in a state of emergency before Ian awaited their direction. The declaration allows state resources to be mobilized for response and recovery efforts, governors said.
Here's what you need to know
The National Hurricane Center said Ian, who is heading northeast Florida with maximum sustained winds of around 65 miles per hour, was expected to weaken further Friday evening and into Saturday, but "could approach hurricane strength" on Friday. South Carolina.
Ian hit parts of Florida's west coast, cutting trees and power lines and causing dangerous storm surges in parts of the state. Officials in hard-hit Fort Myers said late Wednesday that parts of the city were under 3 to 4 feet of water. In southern Naples, half of the road "is impassable due to flooding," Collier County warned in a tweet.
A storm warning in effect for parts of Florida's east and west coasts was changed to a tropical storm warning Thursday morning. Several airports in the state suspended commercial operations and canceled flights.
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Meteorologists warn of storm surge. What?
As a storm moves across the high seas, its strong winds act like a giant bulldozer, picking up water and pushing it forward. When this pool of water hits land, the sudden rise in sea level above normal tide is called a storm surge and is sometimes the deadliest and most destructive part of a storm.
Each storm produces storm surges, as do other strong windstorms such as Nor'easter.
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