Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a powerful Category 4 storm. Maximum sustained winds were about 250 mph (XNUMX km/h) as it hit the southwest coast of Cayo Costa near Fort Meyers and Cape Coral.
The National Hurricane Center warned of "a life-threatening storm in the region with catastrophic winds and flooding on the Florida Peninsula." More than 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate.
Forecasters say Ian may bring rain that could cause coastal flooding of up to 3,7 feet, along with intense thunderstorms and possible tornadoes.
Hurricane Ian is the fifth strongest storm in terms of wind speed to ever hit the US.
15 light and ultralight aircraft were downed at North Perry Airport. According to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the storm severely damaged aircraft and several hangars. North Perry Airport is temporarily closed to fully assess damage and operations.
Travel alert issued by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs Romanian citizens who are in, transiting or intend to travel to the United States of America that, according to the data sent by the American authorities / National Hurricane Center, between September 28 and October 1, 2022, the territories located in the Atlantic Ocean near the US and the US states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina will experience some severe weather conditions due to the movement of Hurricane IAN, formed in the Caribbean Sea.
There are premises for an increase in the intensity of the hurricane up to degree 4 when it hits the American territory. It is possible that some infrastructure elements (airports, bridges, viaducts, roadways, etc.) in the indicated areas will be closed to passenger traffic, goods transport, etc. Thus, Romanian citizens who have planned a trip to or from the mentioned areas are advised to contact the airlines to check the status of the scheduled flight.