Hurricane Ian poses a huge threat to Florida as a category 4 hurricane

Meteorologists all across the country have been looking to the tropics this week as Hurricane Ian has torn through the Caribbean.

Yesterday, the storm made landfall as a category 3 hurricane in western Cuba, bringing heavy rainfall and hurricane-force winds to the area. The storm resulted in flash flooding and has left 11 million people without power.

Today, the storm has been upgraded to a category 4 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, gearing up to strike the western coast of Florida.

Although the storm isn’t expected to make landfall until later today, many Floridians have already started to see impacts like heavy rain, which began yesterday. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are in place for much of the state. There are also a few tornado watches with the threat of tornadoes to spin up among the hurricane's rain bands. Late in the day Tuesday, there were already 9 tornadoes reported in southern Florida by the Storm Prediction Center.

Storm surge, one of the most concerning impacts expected from this storm, could reach as high as 16 feet in spots, flushing out coastal towns. More than 2 million people were ordered to evacuate for their safety as the hurricane creeps closer to the Florida coast.

One area that many have their eyes on is Tampa Bay. The area is prone to storm surge due to the bay’s shallow waters - 12 feet on average - and the way that the bay is positioned, giving surging water easier access to coastal communities.

Although storm surge from a category 4 hurricane would be bad news anywhere, surging waters near Tampa are especially catastrophic. The Tampa Bay area has only seen 5 major hurricanes in recorded history with the last major hurricane having struck over a century ago.

Another area that is causing a lot of concern is Charlotte Harbor which is about 20 miles north of Fort Myers. The harbor averages a depth of only 7 feet, so storm surge here will create incredibly dangerous situations as well.

If you have friends or family in Florida, make sure to check in with them today to ensure they have a hurricane plan in place. This storm is expected to bring historic impacts to the state and could easily create life-threatening situations.