N. GOOD EVENING. >> LOCAL "10
>>> HURRICANE IAN INTENSIFYING AND TAKING AIM AT FLORIDA. GULF COAST BRACING FOR DIRECT
HIT.
>> THIS HOSPITAL IN TAMPA
TAKING NO CHANCE.
WORKERS SEEN BUILDING A FLOOD
WALL AROUND THE HOSPITAL TO
PROTECT AGAINST RISING WATERS.
NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER
PREDICTING BETWEEN 5 TO 10
FEET OF STORM SURGE IN THAT
AREA.
>> RESIDENTS IN THE FLORIDA
KEYS ARE ALSO BOARDING UP AND
STOCKING UP ON SAND BAG.
RIGHT NOW ALL OF FLORIDA IS
UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
>> EVEN SOUTH FLORIDA OUT OF
THE CONE.
WE COULD STILL SEE SIGNIFICANT
FLOODING IN SOME 80’S.
>> WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE
ON THE STORM PATH AND
PREPARATION IN PLACE.
WE BEGIN WITH BETTY AND
HURRICANE SPECIALIST AND STORM
SURGE EXPERT MICHAEL.
>> HI EVERYONE.
HURRICANE IAN IS GETTING
STRONGER.
WINDS UP 105 MILES PER HOUR AS
OF 11:00 P.M. ADVISORY.
PRESSURE 9 62 MILLIBAR.
MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NORTH
WEST AT 13 MILES PER HOUR AND
MICHAEL GETTING CLOSER TO THE
WESTERN TIP OF CUBA ERIC’S IT
IS VERY CLOSE.
HURRICANE CENTER FORECASTING
15 FEET OF STORM SURGE WITH
THE PUSH OF WIND IN WESTERN
CUBA. WINDS 105 MILES PER
HOUR.
CATEGORY 3 WINDS START AT 111
MILES PER HOUR SO FEW TICK UP
AND WE HAVE OURSELVES A MAINLY
HURRICANE.
NOT THAT IT’S ALREADY MAJOR
BUT THIS IS GOING TO GET TO
THE GULF AND STRENGTHEN EVEN
FURTHER.
>> NOTICE AN EYE TYPE FEATURE
ON THIS.
>>Reporter: RIGHT HERE.
THE WARM SPOT AS WE CALL IT.
YELLOW WITHIN THE RED.
THAT’S THE DEVELOPING EYE OF
THE VERY, VERY POWERFUL
HURRICANE.
>> TOMORROW HEAD INTO THE
SOUTH EAST GULF OF MEXICO.
FORECAST TO BECOME CATEGORY 4
HURRICANE AS IT PASSES WEST OF
THE HERE KEYS THEN MAKE ITS
WAY UP TO THE WEST COAST OF
FLORIDA AND LOOK AT HOW
TIGHTLY PACKED THOSE ICONS
ARE.
>>Reporter: YES.
THAT’S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS
WE POINT OUT HERE IS THAT YES
IT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN JUST
A LITTLE BIT AS IT GETS TO THE
COAST BUT IT’S GETTING IT’S
MOVING VERY SLOWLY AS IT DOES
SO.
THAT MEANS IT WILL HAVE A LOT
OF TIME TO NOT ONLY PUSH WATER
FROM THE COAST INLAND BUT ALSO
BRING TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
RAINFALL POSSIBLE HERE TO THE
ENTIRE FLORIDA PENINSULA.
EVERYONE SEEING THE RAIN BAND
IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
>> WE ARE.
THE WINDS CIRCULATING AROUND
THE HURRICANE PUSHING THAT
OCEAN WATER TOWARD THE SHORE.
IT IS PROBLEMATIC.
>>Reporter: IT IS.
EVEN DOWN IN THE KEYS ISSUED
MENTION THEY WILL SEE SOME
STORM SURGE FROM THIS BUT
PRIMARILY WEST COAST FLORIDA
WHICH WE WILL TALK ABOUT IN A
MINUTE.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
SOME IMPACT HERE HEAVY
RAINFALL WE ARE UNDER FLOOD
WATCH BY THE WAY THROUGH
THURSDAY BUT JUST KEEP IT IN
MIND.
PLENTY OF RAINFALL TO BE HAD.
>>Reporter: YES.
ALSO THE GUSTY WINDS.
WE HAVE SOME OF THAT DOWN
HERE.
NOT EXPECTING SUSTAINED WINDS.
MAINLY IN THE SWELL THAT COME
THROUGH BUT GUSTY WINDS UP TO
40 MILES PER HOUR.
THE SEVERE THREAT WE GET THESE
ISOLATED CELL THIS MANUFACTURE
THROUGH THE TORNADO THREAT IS
HERE WITH US AS WELL.
>> WE TRACK ALL OF THAT AND OF
COURSE KEEPING A CLOSE WATCH
ON WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE
STORM SURGE.
>> YES.
SO THE BIG STORY WITH THIS IS
THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
WITH THE WATER IS GOING TO DO.
THESE ARE TREMENDOUSLY BIG
STORM SURGE NUMBERS 5 TO 10
FEET OF STORM SURGE BEING
FORECAST.
IN TAMPA BAY.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FORECAST
LIKE THIS IN TERMS OF THE
MAGNITUDE OF THE STORM SURGE
IN THIS PART OF THE COAST
LINE.
SO MANY PEOPLE LEIF HERE AND
NOT ONLY THE BAY BUT TO THE
NORTH HERE AND SWOPING ARM OF
THE BIG BEND UP TO CEDAR KEY
THEN DOWN TO FORT MYERS.
AS HIGH AS 4 TO 8 FEET FOR THE
AREAS.
WIDE STRETCH OF COAST LINE HER
ALONG THE WESTERN PENINSULA
THAT GET IMPACTED BY THIS
STORM.
>> ALSO THE KEYS.
WE CAN’T FORGET THE KEYS.
LET’S REALLY FOCUS AND CLOSE
IN ON THIS AREA, TOO.
WHERE WE ARE EXPECTING SOME
STORM SURGE 2 TO FOUR FEET.
THAT’S THE FORECAST.
>>Reporter: IT IS THE
FORECAST.
CLOSER LOOK AT THIS ONE YOU
CONDITION SEE THAT YES IT IS
LESS IN MAGNITUDE THAN AREAS
TO THE NORTH BUT NEVERTHELESS
THEY HAVE SOME FLOODING ISSUES
IN SOME OF THE LOW LYING
AREAS.
LET’S TALK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT
THE STEERING WITH THIS.
THAT IS THE FOCUS THE LAST
SEVERAL DAYS.
WHAT IS GOING ON HERE IS WE
HAVE 2 AREAS OF HIGH PRESSURE
SORT OF FLANKING IAN ON EITHER
SIDE.
MIDDLE A DIP IN THE JET
STREAM.
THAT DIP IS PULLING THIS TO
THE NORTH AS IT DOES SO, YOU
HAVE COMPETING STEERING ISSUES
HERE.
YOU HAVE HIGH PRESSURE KIND OF
GOING TO THE SOUTH HERE.
YOU HAVE THE JET STREAM
WANTING TO GO TO THE NORTH AND
IAN IN BETWEEN.
THAT KEEPS IT AS SHOW MOVING
SYSTEM AND THE CONCERN HERE
AGAIN IS WHEN YOU HAVE A SLOW
MOVING STORM IT’S THE WATER.
TYPICALLY THE WATER THAT IS
THE MOST DEADLY HAZARD OF
HURRICANE.
ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF DEATH IN
HURRICANE ARE FROM THE WATER.
FROM THE RAINFALL.
FROM THE STORM SURGE.
THAT IS KIND OF THE BIGGEST
CONCERN HERE.
LOOK AT SOME OF THE BIG
NUMBERS THAT WE ARE EXPECTING
HERE CLOSE TO THE COAST.
UP TO 20 INCHES OF RAIN.
HOLY COW.
DOWN IN SOUTH FLORIDA EVEN UP
TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE
BAND.
REALLY STARTING IN EARNEST
BETTY TOMORROW.
RAIN BAND ON THE OUTER EDGE OF
IAN AND CONTINUING IN
WEDNESDAY AS WELL.
>>Reporter: AND WE HAVE
ALREADY GOT SOME GOOD
DOWNPOUR.
SOAKING RAIN HAPPENING OUT
THERE TONIGHT.
THESE ARE LEADING TO SOME
FLOOD ADVISORY IN PARTS OF
SOUTH FLORIDA INCLUDING FROM
FORT LAUDERDALE DOWN TOWARD
THE MIAMI AREA WHERE WE
CONTINUE TO GET SOAKED EVEN
HERE KEYS DEALING WITH THE
DOWNPOURS AND THE GUSTY
STORMS, TOO.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
DOPPLER RADAR COMING UP IN A