Cyclone ‘Ian’ knocked in Cuba, expects to reach Florida tomorrow
Havana, Sept. 27 (AP) Cyclone Ian made landfall on Cuba’s west coast on Tuesday, bringing torrential rains and high winds. In anticipation of the cyclone, the government has so far evacuated 50,000 people.
This cyclone is moving north at high speed and is expected to hit the coast of the US state of Florida on Wednesday through the Gulf of Mexico.
Ian is a Category 3 cyclone. A category 3 cyclone is a cyclone where the wind speed is at least 178 kilometers per hour.
USNHC said this cyclone is getting severe. It is estimated that by the time this cyclone reaches the Florida coast, it will have turned into a Category 4 cyclone.
The US National Hurricane Center (USNHC) said Ian reached the coast of Cuba at 4:30 a.m. local time.
The Cuban government evacuated more than 50,000 people from Pinar del Río province, the main tobacco area, before Ian arrived. The government has built 55 shelters in the island country.
The USNHC said waves of up to 14 feet were seen due to Ian off Cuba’s west coast. Danian Brown, senior USNHC expert, told The Associated Press that Cuba had previously feared a severe cyclone and heavy rainfall, accompanied by dangerous waves.
Ian is expected to gain further momentum as he passes through Cuba and reaches the Gulf of Mexico, with winds of up to 225 km/h when he reaches the Florida coast on Wednesday.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency, warning that the cyclone could devastate large areas of the state.
President Joe Biden has also declared a state of emergency. Biden has asked the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate and cooperate in disaster management to protect lives and property.
The US space agency NASA plans to delay the launch of its moon rocket from the Kennedy Space Center because of Ian, because he says the test flight will be delayed by weeks.
AP
Santosh Pawanesh
Pawanesh