Ian, now a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds, has strengthened on Tuesday and is forecast to strengthen even more into the night.

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.

There is also a risk for tornadoes in Florida Tuesday and Wednesday.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell warned Tuesday, "Floridians are going to experience the impacts from the storm for a very long time."

"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."

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 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.

Hurricane Ian’s track is moving south, with landfall forecast for late afternoon Wednesday between Tampa and Fort Myers as a Category 3 storm.

The storm surge forecast for Tampa Bay has dropped from 10 feet to 8 feet. But now the predicted storm surge for Fort Myers has increased and could be as high as 12 feet.

Ian remains a tropical storm with winds of 50 mph, but the storm system is expected to rapidly intensify on Sunday as it moves over warm waters in the Caribbean Sea, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The seawater currently carries very favorable conditions for strengthening over the coming days, with temperatures between 85 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit -- the perfect temperatures for fueling a powerful storm as it stays over open water.

Ian is expected to strengthen to a hurricane by Sunday night and into a major hurricane later Monday night as it passes by Cuba.

The NHC currently forecasts Ian to strengthen into a major Category 4 hurricane on Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico as it heads toward Florida.

Ian is expected to make landfall on the west coast or the panhandle of Florida on Wednesday or Thursday.

Some weakening could occur before the storm system makes landfall, possibly dipping below major hurricane status before impacting coastal communities.

A hurricane warning is currently in effect for the western portion of Cuba, where flooding rains and major storm surge are forecast.

-ABC News' Riley Winch