The remnants of Ian are charging up the East Coast on Saturday after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in South Carolina on Friday afternoon.
The monster storm made its first U.S. landfall on Wednesday on Florida's west coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, shredding homes with ferocious winds topping 150 mph. Florida's death toll has climbed to at least 81, according to information from local officials.
Coastal Georgia, South Carolina under tropical storm watches
As Ian moves north over Florida, tropical storm force winds will reach coastal Georgia and South Carolina.
Tropical storm watches have been issued for Savannah and near Charleston.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a state of emergency.
Sep 27, 2022, 2:57 PM EDT
Ian, a Category 3, expected to strengthen more
Ian, now a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds, has strengthened on Tuesday and is forecast to strengthen even more into the night.
Fallen electricity lines, metal and tree branches litter a street after Hurricane Ian hit Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Sept. 27, 2022.
Ramon Espinosa/AP
People walk through a flooded street in Batabano, Cuba, Sept. 27, 2022, during the passage of Hurricane Ian.
Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images
The latest track shows Ian making landfall on Wednesday, striking the west coast of Florida between Tampa and Fort Myers, bringing flooding and damaging winds.
Hurricane warnings are in effect from Tampa to Fort Myers and storm surge warnings are in effect for a large portion of Florida’s west coast.
Brittany Andrias (L) and Cathy Dalrymple fill gas containers at a station before the possible arrival of Hurricane Ian, on Sept. 27, 2022, in St Petersburg Beach, Fla.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
There is also a risk for tornadoes in Florida Tuesday and Wednesday.
Sep 27, 2022, 2:34 PM EDT
FEMA: 'Do not underestimate' Ian
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Tuesday, "Floridians are going to experience the impacts from the storm for a very long time."
Workers board up the windows on the historical Henry B. Plant Hall on the campus of the University of Tampa ahead of Hurricane Ian, on Sept. 27, 2022, in Tampa, Fla.
Chris O'Meara/AP
"Our biggest concern as we wait for this storm to make landfall is storm surge," Criswell said. "In 2018, when Hurricane Michael impacted the Florida Panhandle, there were five recorded fatalities as a result of storm surge. So therefore, if people are told to evacuate by their local officials, please listen to them. The decision you choose to make may mean the difference between life and death."
President Joe Biden on Tuesday urged residents to "evacuate when ordered."
Biden said he spoke to the mayors of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater Tuesday morning and told them to "contact me directly" for "whatever they need."
Criswell said a search and rescue coordination group has been activated, including members from FEMA's urban search and rescue teams, the Coast Guard, the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior.
The Red Cross has established 29 shelters and is prepared to open 60 more shelters if needed, she said.
Criswell stressed, "To those who may be watching at home, get ready and do not underestimate the potential that the storm can bring."
19:35
President Joe Biden from the Rose Garden on Hurricane Ian
Plus, Biden delivers remarks on the cost of healthcare, Medicare, and Social Security.
Sep 27, 2022, 2:28 PM EDT
Orlando’s airport closing Wednesday
The Orlando International Airport said operations will stop at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport is closing at 1 p.m. Tuesday while Tampa International Airport is suspending flights at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
The arrival and departures board lists numerous flight cancelations at Tampa International Airport before the airport's planned closure ahead of Hurricane Ian, Sept. 27, 2022 in Tampa, Fla.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images
The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport is closing at 8 p.m. Tuesday while the Melbourne Orlando International Airport will stop flights at 2 p.m. Wednesday.