Tropical Depression 9 strengthened to Tropical Storm Ian Friday night as Florida continues to watch the system make its way through the Caribbean. Ian has the potential to become a major hurricane that could impact Florida next week. As of 11 p.m. Friday, Ian had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was about 385 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, which is now under a tropical storm watch, and the Cayman Islands are under a hurricane watch.
The storm in the central Caribbean Sea had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Ian was around 385 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and was moving west-northwest at 12 mph, the hurricane center said. Hurricane conditions could be felt in the Cayman Islands early Monday, it said. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 24 counties Friday due to the threat, when it was still a tropical depression. “This storm has the potential to strengthen into a major hurricane and we encourage all Floridians to make their preparations,” DeSantis said in a statement. A depression is a tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph or less, while a tropical storm has maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is forecasted to bring gusty winds and heavy rain to Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, Jamaica and northern parts of South America through the weekend. On Monday, it is expected to affect Cuba, then emerge over the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, affecting Florida on Wednesday.
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