Hurricane Ian Forces Mandatory Evacuation of 300,000 in Tampa Bay

As Hurricane Ian strengthened into a Category 2 over the Caribbean, authorities in Florida on Monday ordered the evacuation of around 300,000 people at risk of potentially deadly storm surges in the Tampa Bay region.

Ian is currently expected to make landfall over the Florida Panhandle on the state’s west coast on Thursday. Its intensity and trajectory are uncertain, but there are predictions it could become a Category 4.

With storm surges forecast for Tampa Bay, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor instituted a mandatory evacuation for Zone A effective 2 p.m. on Monday.

“Basically, that’s everybody who lives along the water,” she said in a video message. “So if you have a place to go right now, just do it early so you don’t have to worry about anything else,” she added.

Hillsborough County released a zoned map (pdf) that shows which neighborhoods are expected to be most impacted by high winds, up to 156 miles per hour, and storm surges, reaching 38 feet…. (Excerpt from The Epoch Times)