Tornadoes are possible in Florida beginning today. Already overnight, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings in the Florida Keys as the outer bands of Ian began to move over the peninsula and possible funnel clouds were spotted near the Seven Mile Bridge around 1 a.m. and later over Islamorada, the NWS said. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will relocate.
Live updates will be posted here regarding impacts from Hurricane Ian to our region.
Check here for our hurricane preparedness stories to get ready for the storm. Get the latest updates on Hurricane Ian here.
Tornadoes are possible in Florida beginning today.
Already overnight, the National Weather Service issued tornado warnings in the Florida Keys as the outer bands of Ian began to move over the peninsula and possible funnel clouds were spotted near the Seven Mile Bridge around 1 a.m. and later over Islamorada, the NWS said. A third warning near Plantation Key came after 6:30 a.m.
Richard Tribou
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will relocate football operations to the Miami area in preparation for next weekend’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the potential impact of Hurricane Ian on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The Buccaneers announced Monday night that the team will leave Tampa on Tuesday and relocate in Miami-Dade County.
The Buccaneers are expected to practice at the Miami Dolphins’ training complex in Miami Gardens, Florida, starting Wednesday and continue through this week’s preparations, if necessary.
So far, there has been no change to the Buccaneers’ game against the Chiefs, which is scheduled for Sunday at 8:20 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium. The NFL, along with the team and local officials, will monitor the situation.
Associated Press
All Volusia district public schools and district offices will close on Sept. 28-29 due to Hurricane Ian.
No decision has been made regarding school on Friday, Sept. 30, Volusia County School District spokesperson Angel Gomez said in a statement Monday evening.
Hurricane Ian’s path is expected to target Florida’s Gulf Coast and impact most of Central Florida with hurricane-force winds and heavy rainfall.
Gomez said all school activities, events and programs scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled as several Volusia schools are needed as shelters.
Parents and community residents can monitor the district’s website www.vcsedu.org and social media pages for more school district updates.
The Osceola County and Lake County school districts have also announced they were closing schools.
To find out what school districts are closing schools, go to FLDOE.org/storminfo.
Amanda Rabines
The Department of Corrections announced it will be canceling visitation for all incentivized prisons Thursday as Hurricane Ian takes aim at Florida.
Impacted facilities include:
Everglades Correctional Institute
Jefferson Correctional Institute
Lowell Annex
Madison Correctional Institute
Marion Correctional Institute
Sumter Correctional Institute
Tomoka Correctional Institute
Incentivized prisons offer loved ones the option to visit prisoners on Thursdays and Fridays. It’s unclear if standard weekly visitation hours, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on each Saturday and Sunday, will be impacted.
FDC said it wishes to resume normal visitation at incentivized facilities as soon as possible. It encourages loved ones of prisoners who want to receive updates on visitations and closures to text “FDCVISIT” to 888-777.
The department also announced Monday it is preparing to stock up on food and water in prisons located in the anticipated path of Hurricane Ian.
In a press release, the department said evacuation announcements will be made after they are completed, and will be considered on a “case-by-case basis.” Inmate locations will be posted online within about 24 hours of relocation.
FDC said probation officers will give instructions to people on community supervision about how to handle evacuations or if the probation office closes during normal reporting hours.
Amanda Rabines
Courthouses in Orange and Osceola counties will be closed Wednesday and Thursday due to Hurricane Ian, according to the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
The circuit will be providing updates on Twitter or via its information line at 407-836-2335.
Monivette Cordeiro
The city of St. Cloud declared a local state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ian at the special city council meeting on Monday.
“This will allow us to apply for FEMA reimbursement and other assistance as needed as a result of Hurricane Ian,” City Manager Veronica Miller said.
St. Cloud Fire Chief, Jason Miller, said Osceola County expects around 16 inches of rain and tropical storm force winds from Wednesday to Thursday.
“The streets department has been out cleaning drains making sure that everything is cleared up and cleared out down there,” Miller said. “If anyone has anything please report that to the city, we’d be happy to take a look.”
A new sandbag distribution center will open Tuesday noon to 7 p.m. at the Civic Center at 3001 17th St. with a limit of 15 sandbags per person.
St. Cloud will open its citizen phone bank on Tuesday beginning at 8 a.m. for residents who have questions about Hurricane Ian. Residents can call (407)957-7161 for the citizen phone bank.
The St. Cloud Police Department said they have taken pictures at a bird’s eye view of areas prone to flooding within the city to ensure FEMA reimbursement, Miller said.
Between the city of St. Cloud and the St. Cloud Police Department there are 40 generators meant to reinforce traffic signals in the event of a power outage, Miller said.
“As a word of caution, pay attention to the news, follow the emergency management sites, don’t listen to what a cousin’s brother’s uncle’s sister told you on Facebook,” Miller said.
Osceola County has declared a local state of emergency through Oct. 1, according to a news release.
The citizens information center hotline (407)742-0000 remains open for resident’s questions about Hurricane Ian.
Osceola County has three general population shelters opening on Tuesday at 2 p.m.
1. Celebration High School – 1809 Celebration Blvd., Celebration, FL 34747
2. Kissimmee Middle School (Pet-Friendly) – 210 Dyer Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34741
3. Harmony High School – 3601 Arthur J Gallagher Blvd., St Cloud, FL 34771
Osceola County has one special needs shelter also opening on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at 700 Generation Point, Kissimmee, FL 34744.
Natalia Jaramillo
Central Florida’s theme parks are operating normally early this week as they watch for further forecasts on the projected hurricane.
Spokespeople for Universal, SeaWorld and Legoland said the theme parks are monitoring the storm’s path and are prioritizing employee and guest safety in their operational decisions.
Representatives for Walt Disney World did not immediately respond to questions Monday. A park reservation calendar showed spots at all four theme parks were available Tuesday through Saturday for both annual passholders and ticketed guests.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, the closest theme park to the hurricane’s projected landfall, will close Wednesday and Thursday as Hurricane Ian approaches, park spokespeople said Monday afternoon. The park includes habitats for thousands of animals and has similarly closed or reduced its hours in recent years when inclement weather has approached the region.
“Our weather preparedness plan is in place and extra precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of our animals during this time. Guests are encouraged to check our website and follow our social media channels for updates on park reopening,” the park said in an unsigned statement.
Busch Gardens extended the tickets of guests who planned to visit on those dates, allowing these visitors to return before the end of the year. Annual passholders whose tickets were set to expire Sept. 30 will be able to visit through Oct. 16.
In the past, Orlando’s theme parks have cut their operating hours or closed entirely during storms, depending on the weather’s severity. Disney and Universal both closed for two days during Hurricane Irma, which brought 85 mph winds to the Orlando area in September 2017, but kept open with reduced hours during Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 as the storm skirted Florida.
Katie Rice
Michelle Ramirez has lived in Florida all of her life, but this is the first hurricane she is going to experience as a homeowner. Ramirez bought a home in Orlando’s Lockhart neighborhood last April.
“I’m really scared,” she said.
A high school art teacher, Ramirez is on the state-run Citizens Property Insurance, saying it’s all she was able to afford. Her biggest fear is her deductible, $2,500.
“That’s basically every penny I have,” she said.
Ramirez is worried that there are other conditions in her policy that might cost her even more, but she’s afraid to look and see what the damage might be.
“I’m at the point now where, I don’t know, should I check my policy or do I not want to [be afraid]?” she said.
The house was built in the 1960s and it got a new roof seven years ago, so Ramirez, 37, said she’s not worried the house can’t take the wind. However, she’s seen trees in her neighborhood knocked over by regular thunderstorms.
“My biggest concern is I have trees surrounding my whole house,” she said. “Every room in my house has a window.”
Actor Eric Pinder and his husband are experiencing their first hurricane as homeowners. Pinder said he feels guilty because the couple is in New York for the week, watching nervously to see if the home he bought two years near survives the storm.
“It’s been through a lot of crap, so hopefully it can make it through this,” Pinder, 55, said.
Built in 1981, the house made it through Charley and Irma, but all of that was before it belonged to the Pinder’s. Pinder said he has neighbors currently looking after the home.
“But they also have their own homes to look after,” he said, “and they won’t be able to go over until it’s safe again.”
Pinder doesn’t know his deductible offhand, but he said he’s confident in his policy from Scottsdale Insurance Company.
“It’s not one of the crap ones, I know that,” he said. “It’s not Citizens.”
Trevor Fraser
Trash, yard waste and recycling pick-up are operating as usual in Orlando, but officials caution against piling up loose sticks, limbs and leaves at curbs ahead of Hurricane Ian’s potential arrival later this week.
Such debris can clog storm drains and contribute to flooding.
City officials have also begun lowering lake levels at several lakes, which takes about two days to complete. Water levels will be lowered as much as 12 inches, according to a news release.
Residents can report downed trees, traffic light outages, power outages and other damage to the Citizen Information Line at, 407-246-HELP(4357).
Ryan Gillespie
County residents wanting sandbags to hold off flood waters can make them for free at one of five Orange County parks. Bring your own shovel.
The sites are:
Barnett Park, 4801 W. Colonial Drive·
Bithlo Community Park, 18501 Washington Avenue
Downey Park, 10107 Flowers Avenue
Meadow Woods Park, 1751 Rhode Island Woods Circle
West Orange Recreational Complex, 309 Southwest West Crown Point Road
Stephen Hudak
Orange County residents who may require a special needs/medical shelter should alert authorities by contacting the county’s information hotline by calling 311 or 407-836-3111 to arrange access and transportation before the storm hits.
People with hearing disabilities can start a chat online by visiting ocfl.net/311.
Stephen Hudak
The National Weather Service warns that Central Florida could be in just the right spot to experience winds, flooding rains and the risk of tornadoes from Tropical Storm Ian if it continues on its current path.
Tropical storm force winds would be most likely to arrive during the day on Wednesday, NWS meteorologist Jessie Smith said, with potential gusts of hurricane force winds in Lake County and the western edge of the region as well.
Orange, Lake, Seminole and Osceola counties will likely be on the northeastern quadrant of the storm, said NWS Melbourne meteorologist Kole Fehling, “where we typically see the most hazards.”
“Flooding rain is also going to be a big hazard for Central Florida as well,” he added, estimating potential rainfall amounts of 10 inches or more. “Especially on Wednesday, when there would be the biggest tornado potential, heavy rainfall potential and flash flooding potential.”
Steven Lemongello
The Osceola County school district will close its campuses Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday because of the hurricane, officials announced Monday. Some Osceola campuses are needed as shelters, both for county residents and those evacuating from the coast, they said.
