Forecasters say Hurricane Ian has become an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm as it approaches Florida's west coast.
The. US National Hurricane Center in Miami said at 5 a.m. Wednesday that Ian now has top sustained winds of 140 mph (220 kph) and is centered about 75 miles (125 kilometers) west-southwest of Naples, Florida. It said Ian is moving north at a forward speed of 10 mph (17 kph).
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The major hurricane has prompted warnings of possibly dangerous storm surge along the state's heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region.
Winds, rain have begun intensifying, a day after Ian battered the western tip of Cuba, bringing down the electricity grid and leaving the entire island without power.
Florida residents rushed to board up their homes, stash precious belongings on upper floors and flee. "You can't do anything about natural disasters," said Vinod Nair, who drove inland from the Tampa area Tuesday with his wife, son, dog and two kittens seeking a hotel in the tourist district of Orlando. "We live in a high-risk zone, so we thought it best to evacuate."
