People living along the west-central coast of Florida are being urged to take precautions ahead of Hurricane Ian‘s expected landfall.
The storm is expected to hit the state later this week, according to the National Hurricane Center.
“This could be the storm that we have all feared, so we advise everyone in the Tampa Bay area to please take this seriously,” Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said.
“We are expecting 7 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated spots up to 15 inches of rain. With our grounds already saturated, this is going to cause widespread flooding,” Cathy Perkins, the director of Pinellas County Emergency Management, said.
Perkins added that there is a mandatory evacuation order for all mobile home residents in effect. Hospitals and residential healthcare facilities in the county are also being evacuated.
WATCH: DESANTIS URGES FLORIDA RESIDENTS NOT TO ‘PANIC BUY’ DUE TO HURRICANE IAN
Officials said those needing to seek shelter elsewhere don’t need to travel hundreds of miles from home, but if they are planning to head out of their general area, the best advice is to get on the road as soon as possible.
“Don’t wait. The traffic is going to build up, and what is normally an hour drive could take four, five, 10 hours to get there,” Perkins added.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Tourists are also being told to leave immediately.
“We want you to come back and visit us again, but we want your memories to be fond ones,” Perkins said.
