STORM IAN HITS FLORIDA AFTER HAVOC IN CUBA

Hurricane Ian has hit Florida and has already caused flood damage.

CNN has reported record flooding in Florida already with flood waters expected to rise even further. The rain and floods are expected to stretch well beyond the state’s borders in the following days as it moves further across the United States.

Nearly 50 locations in Florida are expected to reach flood stage with almost all of them expected to reach normal levels in more than a week.

Tampa International Airport closed at 17:00 on Tuesday as the state prepared for Ian’s landfall. Airport officials announced today that the airport will open again on Friday.

ABC News reports that although an inspection of the airfield and facilities determined the airport did not sustain any serious damage during the storm, reopening Friday will give the airport and its partners, including the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and airlines, time to take necessary steps to resume business safely.

Before hitting Florida, Ian knocked out the electricity in Cuba leaving the entire country in darkness. The country’s electricity generator decided to leave the capital Havana’s power off for longer to avoid electrocutions and to avoid fires.

So far, three people have been announced dead as Ian swept through the island. Thousands have been left homeless as the country tries to assess the damage.

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