Florida is bracing for a major hurricane

After knocking out the power to all of Cuba and strengthening into a Category 4 storm, Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall later today in Florida – where some 2.5 million residents are currently under evacuation orders along the western coast.

🌀 More deets… The storm seems to be on par with projections so far; Ian was projected to briefly strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane before dropping back to Category 3 by the time it makes landfall around 8 pm ET tonight near Sarasota. Experts say it’ll be the strongest storm to hit the Tampa Bay metropolitan area in over a century.

• The latest forecasts project a storm surge (aka flooding caused by the hurricane) of 8 to 12 feet across a 90-mile stretch north of Fort Myers, while the city of Tampa is expected to see a six-foot surge.

🙅‍♀️ Closures & cancellations: As of yesterday evening, airlines had canceled 1,600+ flights at five major Florida airports that were scheduled for today, per data-tracker FlightAware. Over 80% of school districts across the state have announced hurricane-related closures, per Florida’s Department of Education.

• Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Legoland will be closed for at least today and tomorrow due to Ian, while major retailers like Walmart/Sam’s Club, Publix, and Trader Joes also closed dozens of stores in Florida ahead of the hurricane’s landfall.