Hurricane Ian strengthened and reached category four, on a scale of five, on its way to Florida this Wednesday, where forecasts predict winds "devastating" after the storm left two dead and millions of people without electricity as it passed through Cuba.
At 0500 am (0900 GMT) an evacuation order was issued for a dozen Florida coastal counties, with a voluntary evacuation recommendation for several other locations, according to emergency services.
Almost simultaneously, the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that "Ian has strengthened to reach the extremely dangerous category four".
According to the most recent data, from the Air Force’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft, maximum sustained winds have increased to 140 miles per hour.
The storm is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday and move across Florida before returning to sea along the west coast of this southern US state by late Thursday.
The NHC had warned that it is expected "a life-threatening storm surge on the west coast of Florida and the lower Florida Keys"with winds "devastating" in the center of the hurricane.
"Catastrophic flooding is expected in several areas of central Florida"he added.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in dozens of counties on Monday and on Tuesday night warned those in the areas that are projected to be the most affected that the "time to evacuate is running out".
"It is necessary to evacuate now. Significant impacts from the storm will begin to be felt relatively soon"said.
The administrator of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Deanne Criswell, expressed himself in the same sense.
"If local authorities tell people to evacuate, please listen to them. The decision they make can make the difference between life and death."he added.
For Chelsea Thompson, 30, anxiety mounted as she helped her parents barricade her home, located in the mandatory evacuation zone.
"As it gets closer, obviously like what is unknown, the anxiety rises"counted.
The Pentagon has mobilized 3,200 National Guardsmen and another 1,800 troops are on the way.
Authorities in several municipalities distributed sandbags to help residents protect their homes.
– Cuba in the dark –
In its passage through Cuba, the hurricane reached category 3 and left the island plunged into darkness after causing a widespread blackout and two deaths in the province of Pinar del Rio.
"There is no electricity service in any area of the country at the moment"Lázaro Guerra, technical director of the state-owned Electric Union, said on Tuesday night.
The hurricane made landfall at dawn in the province of Pinar del Río, western Cuba. There the state media reported two deaths.
On the way to San Juan y Martínez, 190 km from Havana, one of the hardest hit places and an area of tobacco plantations in Pinar del Río, flooded crops, uprooted trees and cables thrown everywhere were seen, AFP journalists confirmed. .
In the town of Consolación del Sur, Caridad Fernández, a 65-year-old housewife, contemplated the disaster on the threshold of her flooded home, with wet mattresses. The French roof tiles went with the hurricane.
"We have everything damaged, but what we have is faith in maintaining life, and we have that. Everything comes out, except death"said the woman with bags under her eyes after a long night.
Cigar maker Yuslán Rodríguez, 37, toured nine nearly destroyed tobacco houses, including his own.
"I don’t know what we are going to do this year with the campaign (sowing)"he said disconsolate. "It is not this tobacco house, it is all the tobacco houses of Consolación del Sur".
