Hurricane Ian hit the state of Florida, and one reporter couldn’t finish his report because the storm was too strong. Jim Cantore, who was reporting for MSNBC was in Punta Gorda, Florida to show how the damage Hurricane Ian has caused. He said the winds were at 90 to 95 miles per hour and tried to show viewers the strength of the winds by going out near the street and holding a pole. That didn’t provide much protection as Cantore was nearly blown away, leading to him taking a knee on the ground. That didn’t help either, and Cantore, who also works for The Weather Channel, decided to take shelter to stay safe.
Before the hurricane hit Punta Gorda, the city released a statement about emergency services. “When we begin seeing sustained winds in excess of 45 miles per hour or higher in our area, all emergency services in the City of Punta Gorda will be suspended,” the statement said. “Emergency and non-emergency phone lines will still be open for calls, but police and fire response will not be possible until the storm has passed. Once it is safe to resume emergency response calls will be answered in order of priority.”
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Hurricane Ian arrived in Southwest Florida on Wednesday, and it was listed as a Category 4 storm. At its peak, winds were at 125 mph, but the storm has now weakened as it crossed the state. However, according to NPR, Hurricane Ian, which is now a tropical storm, could be upgraded to a hurricane again as it moves back over the water from the Atlantic Ocean and crosses back into North and South Carolina.
“A turn toward the north-northeast is expected later today, followed by a turn toward the north and north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday and Friday night,” the National Hurricane Center said on Thursday. “On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida soon and then approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday.”
Before Hurricane Ian hit Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis requested a Major Disaster declaration from President Joe Biden for all 67 counties. He also asked Bideo to approve a FEMA federal cost share of 100% for 60 days to support recovery efforts.
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