A downed tree near Cypress Point Park in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 22, 2022. Credit: Photo by Ash Dudney
Hurricane Ian has spent the day battering Florida—especially in Fort Myers and Port Charlotte—with catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding.

While the Bay area has been spared from a direct hit, local officials have reminded the community that it is not out of the woods yet.

The National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. report has the storm moving north-northeast at nearly 8 mph, with maximum sustained winds near 140 mph. Gusts of 64 mph have been recorded in Tampa, along with heavy rain across the area.

As of 5 p.m., hurricane and storm surge warnings are still in effect for Tampa Bay. An overnight hightide happens at 4:30 a.m., which could bring surge into the community.

The strongest winds are expected in surrounding counties including Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Hardee and Polk, according to WFTS meteorologist Denis Phillips.

While the Bay area has been spared from a direct hit by Hurricane Ian, local officials have reminded the community that it is not out of the woods yet. Credit: National Hurricane Center
More than 200,000 people are without power locally, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

The storm, which made landfall in southwest Florida just shy of being a Category 5 and is expected to to weaken to a Category 1 by 2 a.m. The forecast track is expected to take the eye of the storm across central Florida overnight and into Thursday morning before it moves into the Atlantic on Thursday night.

The next update from the NHC is expected at 8 p.m., with a complete advisory due at 11 p.m.

This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2022.

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief...