ALERT: Hurricane Ian has arrived in Florida and it has reached a Category 4 Hurricane

This is an emergency broadcast message to those who are in Florida or may have family in the area. Hurricane Ian has arrived in the area as of this morning and has rapidly strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane. This is your last chance to get out now or shelter in place before it is too late. And just a friendly reminder do not leave your pets behind grab them and get out while you can if you must flee.

This infrared radar image shows Hurricane Ian as it approaches Florida’s southwest coast on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. (NOAA – GOES-East)

AS OF 9:34 AM LOCAL TIME HERE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU MUST KNOW.

1. Most of Central Florida remains under a hurricane watch until about 5 pm. Across the coast, conditions are understood to be set to deteriorate fast.
2. If you must shelter in place visit here right now for tips and helpful information to safely shelter in place to make it through the storm. Grab the kids; your pets, cell phones, and anything to communicate with the outside world before you do so. Call someone in the event that it may be the last time they hear from you. Stay away from anything electrical; open water, circuit breakers, downed power lines and anything of nature. If you are fleeing and a power line falls do your best to avoid it. This is critical to your safety.
3. The National Weather Service said it includes Brevard, Orange, Osceola, Polk and Seminole counties.
4. 140,000+ people are without power including Collier, Miami-Dade, Charlotte, Lee, Sarasota, Manatee, Broward and Palm Beach counties according to poweroutage.us.

“Clearly, this is a very powerful major hurricane that’s going to have major impacts, both on impact in southwest Florida, but then as it continues to work through the state,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said from the state Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee this morning. “It is going to have major, major impacts in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms of flooding, so this is going to be a nasty, nasty day — two days.”

A statement from the NWS on Wednesday morning has confirmed a flood warning is currently in place.

“Major flooding impacts are expected to develop throughout the day, and widespread heavy rainfall is expected to continue through Thursday night. Storm total rainfall amounts are forecast to range from 12 to 18 inches with localized amounts greater than 20 inches occurring over areas north of a line from Kissimmee to near New Smyrna Beach,” the statement reads.