In some areas, residents have stocked up on water, generators, and wood to board up windows. NASA was forced to postpone a second attempt to launch the Artemis moon rocket.
Florida has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Ian approaches the coast and is expected to intensify into a major hurricane.
Saturday, Governor Ron DeSantis expanded an earlier warning to cover the entire state and urged residents to prepare for landfall.
It activates the state’s national guard and releases funds for emergency purposes.
This storm has the potential to intensify into a major hurricane, and we urge all Floridians to prepare, as the governor said.
We are coordinating with all state and local government partners to monitor the storm’s potential effects.
The approaching storm has also postponed a launch attempt planned for Tuesday from Kennedy Space Centre for the Artemis moon mission.
NASA official Jim Free tweeted that the decision to “roll back” the rocket from the launch pad to its assembly building was imminent.
Additionally, President Biden has declared a state of emergency to allow federal agencies to coordinate relief efforts and provide assistance.
The National Hurricane Centre forecasts that Tropical Storm Ian will “rapidly intensify” on Sunday as it moves toward Cuba before hitting the Florida coast in the middle of next week.
At 5:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, the wind speed was 50 mph and the location was southeast of Jamaica.
It is unknown which areas of Florida will be hardest hit, but residents in Pinellas Park, near Tampa, were waiting in line at a Home Depot when it opened at 6 a.m. on Saturday.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, 600 cases of water were sold by early afternoon. In addition to the depletion of electricity generators, people were purchasing plywood to cover their windows.
After Fiona hit the country’s Atlantic coast on Saturday, Canada is also experiencing the effects of a tropical storm.
After some homes were swept away by wind and waves, roofs were torn off, and more than half a million homes lost power, troops were dispatched to assist.
There was no confirmation of injuries or fatalities.
