FEMA officials are warning Floridians about storm surge from Hurricane Ian.
Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water being pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds moving around the storm, according to the National Hurricane Center. This rise in water level can cause extreme flooding in coastal areas particularly when storm surge coincides with normal high tide, resulting in storm tides reaching up to 20 feet or more in some cases.
FEMA Director Deanne Criswell says storm surge is the deadliest part of a hurricane.
"Our biggest concern as we wait for this storm to make landfall is storm surge. And I will note that storm surge is a leading cause of hurricane-related fatalities," she said during a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday. "Just in 2018, when Hurricane Michael impacted the Florida Panhandle, there were five recorded fatalities as a result of storm surge."
While the storm is expected to hit the western coast of Florida, the rest of the state needs to stay on guard, Criswell said.
"We won't just see storm surge, though, on the western coast of Florida. Hurricane Ian's path is also going to bring some storm surge to the eastern coast, somewhere near the Daytona to the Jacksonville area," she said. "In addition to the storm surge, we are also going to see significant rainfall with a possibility of up to 25 inches in some isolated parts of Florida. And as always, there’s always a possibility for tornadoes."
Criswell is urging people to evacuate if told to do so.
"The decision you choose to make may mean the decision between life and death," she said. "Get ready, and do not underestimate the potential that this storm can bring."
Hurricane Ian is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge along much of the state's west coast, with the highest risk from Fort Myers to the Tampa Bay region. Considerable flooding is expected across portions of Florida and into southern Georgia and South Carolina.
Officials are expecting Ian to make landfall somewhere between Fort Myers and Tampa on Wednesday.
"By the time it reaches the shores of Florida, the storm is going to slow down to approximately five miles per hour. And this is significant, because what this means is that Floridians are going to experience the impacts from this storm for a very long time," Criswell said. "We're talking about impacts in a part of Florida that hasn't seen a major direct impact in nearly 100 years."
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