Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. (National hurricane Center)
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(ACCUWEATHER) -- As of 7 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Hurricane Ian had maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, just 2 mph shy of Category 5 intensity. Ian was moving north-northeastward at 9 mph, and was about 75 miles southwest of Manasota Key, Florida. Hurricane-force winds extended outward 40 miles and winds of tropical storm force reached 175 miles from the center, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
AccuWeather forecasters have rated Ian a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact
Scale for Hurricanes for the United States due to the dangers and anticipated magnitude of damage that stem from flooding rainfall and powerful winds even for areas well inland from where the Ian crashes onshore at mid-afternoon on Wednesday.
Jamie Rhome, the acting director of the National Hurricane Center, told CNN that Tuesday is the last day for people to safely flee ahead of the monster storm, and Lee County, which issued mandatory evacuation orders Tuesday morning had opened public shelters. Those who remain behind will need to hunker down, prepared to ride out a major hurricane hit — one that he said one day earlier on CNN will be “the storm of a lifetime for many Tampa Bay residents.”
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