Five-thousand members of the Florida National Guard have been activated to help during Hurricane Ian. Another 2,000 guardsmen from Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina are also coming to help, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

Nearly 300 ambulances and support vehicles are being deployed to areas bracing for Ian’s landfall, DeSantis said.

-ABC News’ Alex Faul

In Tampa, where residents are bracing for 10 feet of dangerous storm surge, the Tampa International Airport may shut down parts of its airfield and facilities over the next day or two, airport officials announced.

The airport is in an evacuation zone, but because it’s critical infrastructure, it’s “exempt from the storm evacuation order and will stay open until a closure is necessary,” airport officials said in a statement.

It’s been 101 years since Tampa last had a direct hit from a major hurricane.

Hillsborough County Public Schools in Tampa will be closed Monday through Thursday due to the storm. Instead, some schools will operate as storm shelters, the district said.

In Sarasota County, schools will be closed on Tuesday.

NASA said it will roll the Artemis I rocket off the launch pad and back to the vehicle assembly building on Monday night due to the storm.

“Managers met Monday morning and made the decision based on the latest weather predictions associated with Hurricane Ian, after additional data gathered overnight did not show improving expected conditions for the Kennedy Space Center area,” NASA said in a statement. “The decision allows time for employees to address the needs of their families and protect the integrated rocket and spacecraft system.”

President Joe Biden spoke from the White House Friday afternoon about Hurricane Ian's wrath, describing the devastation in Florida as well as warning residents of South Carolina to be prepared for another landfall.

"We're just beginning to see the scale of that destruction," Biden said of the damage in Florida. "It is likely to rank among the worst in the nation's history. You have all seen on television, homes and property wiped out. It is going to take months, years to rebuild."

He added, "I just want the people of Florida to know we see what you are going through and we are with you. And we are going to do everything we can for you."

Biden said the U.S. Coast Guard has mobilized 16 helicopters, 18 rescue boats and six fixed-wing planes to help in search and rescue in Florida. More than 100 people have been rescued by the Coast Guard, Biden said. Hundreds more have been rescued by volunteers.

"The federal government will cover every cost, 100% of the cost, to clear the massive debris left in the wake of the hurricane and these counties," the president said. "It all needs to be cleared out for communities to begin the hard work of trying to get back on their feet."