Hurricane Ian bears down on Cuba, Florida

Ian is expected to lash western Cuba’s tobacco fields late Monday with fierce winds, rains, and floods. Forecasters expect the hurricane to become a Category 4 storm before striking Florida sometime Wednesday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency and warned residents to be prepared while also reminding them that much is still uncertain about the storm. President Joe Biden has also announced a state of emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA to provide disaster relief.

What about Fiona? Hurricane Fiona already pushed through the nearby Caribbean, leaving thousands without water and power. As of Sunday, 45 percent of Puerto Rico’s 1.47 million power customers were without electricity, and 20 percent of the island’s 1.3 million water customers had no service. Fiona also lashed Canada’s eastern coast with severe winds and rains after largely bypassing the continental United States.

Dig deeper: Read Kim Henderson’s report from the WORLD archives about the recovery process after Hurricane Ida tore through the United States.