When could Hurricane Ian hit Florida? Dates and possible affected areas

Tropical Storm Ian has formed in the Caribbean and is fast approaching Florida. The storm is currently off the coast of Jamaica, about 300-miles. It will travel across the sea towards Cuba before coming in to Florida at the beginning of next week.

Initially the main worry will be the heavy rains before the storm arrives. These could come as soon as Sunday night and there is a chance of minor flooding.

It is expected that the tropical storm could make landfall in Florida on Wednesday.

After an unusally barren spell of storms this year, depsite the number of warnings of many to come, September has seen the winds blow thick and fast, if they can do such a thing. Since September 15 there have already been four tropical storms that have formed named Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, and Ian. These have caused damage to Puerto Rico, the Azores in Portugal, the Canary Islands, and soon to be Florida respectively.

Tropical storms form when winds exceed at least 39 mph. They are the intermediate stage on the way to a hurricane, though not every tropical storm will grow into a hurricane.

Which areas could be affected?

The state of emergency announced by Governor Ron de Santis on Friday affects 24 counties:

Residents of these areas are warned about dangerous storm surges, heavy rainfall, strongwinds, flash flooding, and potentially tornado activity.

“Today, I signed an Executive Order issuing a State of Emergency due to the threat of Tropical Depression 9,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations. We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to track potential impacts of this storm.”

Winds of a category 1 hurricanes range from 74 to 95 mph to more than 157 mph at category 5. When Ian hits Florida it is expected to be category 3.