Hurricane Ian may have reached its peak – a million without electricity

Hurricane Ian reached the US state of Florida in the United States on Wednesday, causing extensive damage and power outages. One million customers are without power, and according to authorities, Lee, Collider and Sarasota are the hardest hit. Overnight through Thursday, the hurricane decreased in strength and is now classified as a Category 3 hurricane.

One of the strongest storms ever

And on Wednesday evening, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a statement that the hurricane may have reached its peak, but the entire state would be hit hard by the damage in its path. According to DeSantis, the hurricane peaked at 69 meters per second earlier in the day, just below Category 5, the highest strength.

Hurricane Ian is said to be one of the most powerful storms ever to hit Florida New York times. According to experts, cities located in the path of the hurricane suffer “catastrophic” damage.

‘Extremely dangerous hurricane’

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Ian is a “very dangerous and significant hurricane” and that nearly 2.5 million people in Florida may need to evacuate in connection with the hurricane’s progress.

This would be a tragic event in many ways, says Governor Ron DeSantis.

Cuban migrant boat sank – 20 missing

Before Hurricane Ian reached Florida, it passed through Cuba on Tuesday. The US border police reported that a Cuban migrant boat with 23 people on board capsized off the coast of Florida due to the hurricane, Reuters reports. The authorities managed to rescue three people, but 20 people are still missing.

Hurricane Ian’s advance over Cuba caused the entire island to be without electricity. According to the country’s state electric company, they are working intensively to restore electricity to Cuba’s 11 million residents.

The hospital in Pinar del Río was badly damaged and many of Cuba’s economically important tobacco plantations were destroyed by the winds.

– It was the end of the world. A real disaster, says farm owner Hirochi Rubina.