WE LOSE A LOT OF LIVE SHOTS WHEN WE HAVE MAJOR STORMS MOVING THROUGH SOUTH FLORIDA.
OKAY.
WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO THE
GULF COAST RIGHT NOW.
WE DO HAVE REPORTERS EVERYWHERE.
THIS SITE IS TERRIFYING.
THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT SUNSHINE
SKYWAY BRIDGE OVER AM THE THAT
BAY.
WHICH IS PART OF THE EVACUATION
ZONE.
REMEMBER, WE WERE TELLING YOU
EVERYBODY HAD TO BE EVACUATED
LAST NIGHT BY 9:00 P.M.
THAT IS WHAT WE WERE TELLING
YOU.
YOU CAN SEE THE REASON WHY.
THIS IS THE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS
TAMPA WITH MANATEE COUNTY.
IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO
NORTHERN FLORIDA, YOU HAVE BEEN
ACROSS THIS BRIDGE.
IT IS SHUT DOWN TO ALL DRIVERS
FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
AS THAT STORM BARRELS TOWARDS
THE GULF COAST.
THAT IS JUST A PICTURE.
THAT TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY TO.
SEE EXACTLY WHAT THIS STORM IS
CAPABLE OF.
IT IS NOT EVEN HERE JUST YET.
NEARBY TAMPA IN HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY, ALSO HAS BEEN ORDERED TO
EVACUATE.
ANDREA, WE JUST SHOWED THE
BRIDGE NOT TOO FAR FROM WHERE
YOU ARE.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR LOCATION?
HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE CONDITIONS
REALLY STARTING TO DETERIORATE?
>> GOOD MORNING.
WE HAVE BEEN FEELING ALL MORNING
STOP-AND-GO RAIN AND WINDS.
AND THE RAIN AND THE WIND IN THE
LAST HOUR OR SO, WIND REALLY,
REALLY PICKING UP IS WHAT WE ARE
FEELING.
THOSE OUTER BANDS OF IAN, WE ARE
REALLY BRACING OURSELVES FOR
THIS STRONG CATEGORY FOUR, WHAT
COULD BE A CATEGORY FIVE STORM
HERE.
NOW, AS YOU JUST SAW, THAT
SKYWAY BRIDGE CLOSED IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS AS OF 8:00 A.M.
THE TIME TO EVACUATE IS GONE.
PEOPLE ARE ALREADY EITHER OUT OF
THIS AREA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY,
OR THEY ARE HUNKERED DOWN WHERE
THEY PLAN TO RIDE OUT THE STORM.
YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME, IT IS A
GHOST TOWN.
RARELY, BARELY ANY CARS ON THE
ROAD OUT HERE.
AS FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, TWO HOURS
SOUTH, FORT MYERS, NAPLES, YOU
KNOW, THEY INITIALLY THOUGHT
THAT THE TRACK OF THE STORM
WASN’T GOING TO HIT THEM.
THEY THOUGHT IT WAS ACTUALLY
GOING TO COME HERE.
THEY DIDN’T HAVE AS MUCH TIMES
TO PREP... PREPARE.
THEY ARE NOW BRACING THEMSELVES
FOR THIS MAJOR STORM.
THEY NOW HAVELESS THAN 24 HOURS.
>> THE TIME TO LEAVE NOW OVER.
>> IT IS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO
SAFELY EVACUATE.
IT IS TIME TO HUNKER DOWN AND
PREPARE FOR THIS STORM.
>> GOVERNOR RON DeSANTIS
SPEAKING, GIVING AN UPDATE
MOMENTS AGO AS THE GULF COAST
BRACES FOR MONSTER HURRICANE
IAN.
LOCAL OFFICIALS MAKING IT CLEAR
HELP WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE
DURING THE STORM.
>> AFTER A CERTAIN TIME WHEN
TROPICAL-FORCE WINDS ARE HERE,
WE WILL NOT BE SENDING OUT FIRST
RESPONDERS.
>> THE STORM’S LATE CHANGE IN
TRACK SENDING RESIDENTS NOW IN
IAN’S BULL’S EYE SCRAMBLING TO
PREPARE.
>> JUST BOARDING UP THE WINDOWS.
BOARDING UP THE DOORS.
TRYING TO WEATHER-PROOF IT AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
>> 5,000 FLORIDA GUARDSMEN HAVE
BEEN ACTIVATED.
THE STATE ALSO BRACING FOR
MILLIONS OF POWER OUTAGES,
30,000 WORKERS ON STAND-BY TO
RESTORE ELECTRICITY AFTER THE
STORM.
>> SURE.
SO I DON’T KNOW IF WE CAN SHOW
YOU THOSE LIVE PICTURES OF THE
SKYWAY BRIDGE AGAIN.
TAKING YOU OVER THERE.
IT IS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
AS OF 8:00 A.M.
LIKE I SAID, HERE IN
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, IT IS A
GHOST TOWN.
EVEN WORSE OVER IN BY NELS
COUNTY.
ZONES A, B, AND C ALL EVACUATED.
NOBODY ON THE ROADS.
IF YOU WERE ASKED TO EVACUATE,
IT IS NOW TOO LATE.
EVERYONE HUNKERED DOWN IN THEIR
SPOTS READY TO RIDE OUT THE
STORM.
NOT A LOT OF TIME LEFT.
THE CLOCK IS NOW TICKING.
WE ARE HERE BRACING OURSELVES IN
THE TAMPA AREA, AN AREA THAT
USUALLY TYPICALLY FLOODS.
WE ARE BRACING OURSELVES FOR
THAT STORM SURGE.
THE HEAVY RAIN UP TO 20 INCHES
IN SOME AREAS.
THEN OF COURSE, THOSE MASSIVE
WIND GUSTS.
GUSTS UP TO 155 MILES PER HOUR.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE BRACING FOR IT.
WE ARE TRYING TO REMAIN SAFE AND
BRINGING YOU THE VERY LATEST
LIVE FROM TAMPA.
>> IN TYPICAL HURRICANE FASHION,
OF COURSE, THIS IS CHANGING
COURSE.
WE WATCHED IAN MOVE AND BOBBLE A
LITTLE BIT.
NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THE BRUNT OF
THE STORM THAT EYE IS GOING TO
GO WELL SOUTH OF TAMPA.
I HAVE TO IMAGINE, EVEN AS
EVERYBODY GETS PREPARED, WE
DON’T LIKE TO TAKE ANY CHANCES,
THERE HAS TO BE A LITTLE SIGH OF
RELIEF THAT WHAT THEY ARE GOING
TO GET ISN’T AS BAD AS WHAT THEY
THOUGHT 24-48 HOURS AGO.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS A SIGH OF RELIEF
BECAUSE INITIALLY, WHAT WE
THOUGHT WAS THAT THE EYE OF THE
STORM WAS DIRECTED STRAIGHT
TOWARDS TAMPA, AND THE BIG
CONCERN WAS THAT STORM SURGE IN
THE BAY AREA.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT UP TO 20
FEET OF THAT STORM SURGE.
SO NOW WE ARE EXPECTING A LOT
LESS.
WHILE THAT IS A SIGH OF RELIEF
FOR SOME PEOPLE, OFFICIALS ARE
REMINDING EVERYONE NOT TO GET
TOO COMFORTABLE BECAUSE AS YOU
SAW EVEN BACK HOME, THE OUTER
BANDS OF IANst... YOU KNOW,
NOT EVEN TAKING A DIRECT HIT.
YOU STILL SAW ALL THAT DAMAGE
THAT YOU GUYS ARE DEALING WITH
NOW BACK HOME.
SO OFFICIALS HERE SAYING DON’T
GET TOO COMFORTABLE.
WE ARE STILL GOING TO SEE THOSE
MAJOR IMPACTS FROM THIS MASSIVE
STORM.
AND PEOPLE ARE PREPARED.
PEOPLE ARE BRACING THEMSELVES.
SO AGAIN, IF... YOU KNOW, IF YOU
ARE IN THIS AREA, PEOPLE ARE
HOPEFULLY, TAKING THIS
SERIOUSLY.
WE WILL NOT GET A DIRECT HIT.
WE WILL DEFINITELY BE IMPACTED.