Hurricane Ian tracker

The storm was forecast to roll off Cuban and then strengthen over warm, Gulf of Mexico waters to a Category 4 storm. Updates.

Significant, prolonged river flooding is expected across central to northern Florida.] [Limited flash and river flooding is expected over portions of the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic mid-to-late week.] [WHAT IS STORM SURGE?: ] [It's often a hurricane's deadliest and most destructive threat](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/18/storm-surge-definition-hurricane-threat/9797051002/) [Florida National Guard called into duty] [Florida Gov. [strengthen to a Category 4 storm over warm, Gulf of Mexico waters](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/09/26/hurricane-ian-rapid-intensification/8119513001/). [Category 4 storms can cause 'catastrophic' damage] [If the storm struck as a Category 4 hurricane, it could cause "catastrophic" damage, and power outages could last weeks or months, according to the National Weather Service's description of storms that strong. [Hurricane categories, explained: ] [Breaking down the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind speed scale](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/05/19/hurricane-wind-speed-saffir-simpson-scale/9807231002/) [What is 'rapid intensification'? [Hurricane Ian tracker] [Ian will slow down over the Gulf, growing wider and stronger, “which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west coast of Florida,” the hurricane center said.] [Ian was forecast to emerge over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico](https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2022/09/26/hurricane-tracker-where-is-ian-headed/8118340001/) on Tuesday and approach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday and Wednesday night. The storm's winds were forecast to approach 140 mph by late Tuesday.] ] ["Rapid intensification" is a process in which a storm undergoes accelerated growth: The phenomenon is typically defined to be a tropical cyclone (whether a tropical storm or hurricane) intensifying by at least 35 mph within 24 hours. "Just go straight across the state to Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach." The Gulf is going to be very angry as this comes in." "Because of the size of the storm, it's kicking up a lot of surge. Along with the howling winds, parts of Central Florida could see 12-16 inches of rain with 2 feet possible in isolated areas. Hundreds of thousands of Floridians faced mandatory evacuation orders as the National Hurricane Center expanded the hurricane warning along more than 150 miles of the state's Gulf Coast.