Hurricane Ian is a category three hurricane. It’s currently in the gulf of Mexico off the west coast of Florida. Experts say that hurricane Ian could strengthen to a category four by Tuesday evening. The hurricane is forcing the Florida Gators to re-schedule their Saturday game in Gainesville against Eastern Washington.
However, hurricane Ian is only forcing the game back by one day. University officials moved the game from Saturday, October first, to Sunday, October second. Additionally, the official Gator football Twitter account noted that all tickets purchased for Saturday will be honored on Sunday. Head coach Billy Napier also addressed questions about hurricane Ian in his press conference Monday.
Models predict hurricane Ian to make landfall near Tampa Bay. While of course, Gainesville is not as susceptible to a direct hit from hurricane Ian as Tampa Bay, the home of the Gators will still feel the impact. Experts expect the storm to move slowly after making landfall. As a result, heavy rain and wind will last longer. Gainesville will feel it most as hurricane Ian moves across the northern part of the state.
To illustrate, the outer bands of hurricane Ian are impacting parts of south Florida right now. Consequently, Miami, West Palm Beach, and the Keys are under a tornado watch at the moment. The National Hurricane Center expects hurricane Ian to make landfall late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
Be Smart, Be Safe. Hurricane Ian Is No Joke
If you live in Florida, the Gators rescheduling a game is the last thing on your mind right now. There is still time to evacuate if you have somewhere to go or prepare if you plan to ride it out. Hurricane Ian is nearly here so you should be making sure you have things like batteries, candles, a first aid kit, and non-perishable food. Also, if you have a generator, make sure you have plenty of gas for it.
The thing to focus on now if you live in Florida is making sure that you are safe. if you don’t live in Florida, make sure that any loved ones you have in the state are in a safe place. This storm is nothing to take lightly. As I said above, it’s set to strengthen tonight and make landfall tomorrow night. On its way to Florida, hurricane Ian struck the tip of Cuba and became the strongest storm to make landfall there since the category five hurricane Irma in 2017.
According to CNN, the National Hurricane Center’s acting director Jamie Rhome said that Tuesday is the last day for people to safely evacuate the impact areas of hurricane Ian. if you are going to evacuate do so safely. if you are going to stay, be prepared for a huge hit and dangerous storm surge. Everyone be safe and make sure your loved ones are safe.
