Hurricane Season
At The Morgan Law Group P.A., our Florida insurance claims attorneys represent property owners throughout Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, and Puerto Rico after a hurricane damages their homes, condos, or businesses.
While we continue to assist our Puerto Rico clients with their losses from Hurricane Fiona, we turn our attention to the current mandatory and volunteer evacuations in Florida, as Hurricane Ian makes its way to the Sunshine State.
Where is Hurricane Ian Now?
As of Monday afternoon, September 26, 2022, Hurricane Ian is up to 85 mph, and expected to intensify as more Florida watches are issued.
Its path is continuing to target Florida’s Gulf Coast including a threat to Central Florida, which is now under a tropical storm watch as hurricane watches were issued along the coast.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said 5,000 National Guardsmen from Florida along with 2,000 more from neighboring states have been activated along with five urban search and rescue teams in preparation for the storm’s impact during a press conference from the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.
The Governor explained, “Floridians up and down the Gulf Coast should feel the impacts of this as up to 36 hours before the actual landfall due to the size of the hurricane,” DeSantis said. “This is a really, really big hurricane at this point, the diameter, the width of it’s about 500 miles wide. So you look at the cone and if you look at where they have the landfall going, I think the landfall is still Levy County, the impacts are going to be much much broader than that.”
Ian is expected to remain at or near major hurricane strength as it passes near the west-central coast of Florida on Wednesday and Thursday.
Hurricane Ian Evacuations Are Underway: Find Your Florida Evacuation Zone & Route
DeSantis announced in an afternoon press conference that Hillsborough County has ordered a mandatory evacuation for residents in Zone A and all manufactured housing, and a volunteer evacuation for those in Zone B.
If you are unsure of your zone, enter your location at FloridaDisaster.org for evacuation routes in your area, so you can be prepared before the storm makes landfall.
Pinellas County has already begun evacuating nursing homes, residential facilities, and hospitals.
Other counties will be issuing evacuation orders as well, and DeSantis urged residents to listen to their local officials and “heed their warnings.”
Special needs shelters will open Monday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. Residents with special needs who require transportation to a safe location until the storm threat passes can sign up by calling the County Information Center at 727-464-4333.
Three general population shelters, including one allowing pets, will open Monday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m.:
- Ross Norton Recreation Center (1426 S, MLK Jr. Ave. Clearwater), and
- Lealman Exchange (5175 45th St. N., St. Petersburg)
- Largo High School (410 Missouri Ave. N., Largo) – pets allowed
Additional shelters will open at 7 a.m. Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at these locations.
Updated evacuation requirements by city and county can be found in real time on the Weather Channel’s website.
