The Tribune

AUTHORITIES and residents in Florida were keeping a cautious eye on Tropical Storm Ian as it rumbled ominously through the Caribbean last nigth, likely to become a major hurricane on its path toward the state.

Gov Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency throughout Florida and urged residents to prepare for the storm to lash large swaths of the state with heavy rains, high winds and rising seas.

Forecasters are still unsure of exactly where Ian could make landfall, with current models plotting it toward Florida’s west coast or panhandle regions, he said.

“We’re going to keep monitoring the track of this storm. But it really is important to stress the degree of uncertainty that still exists,” DeSantis said at a news conference yesterday, cautioning that “even if you’re not necessarily right in the eye of the path of the storm, there’s going to be pretty broad impacts throughout the state”.

The National Hurricane Center said Ian is expected to become a hurricane today and reach major hurricane strength tomorrow.