Hurricane Ian Evacuations: Florida Residents Told to Leave Ahead of Storm

Some Florida residents were ordered to evacuate their homes on Monday as Hurricane Ian continues to strengthen and move closer to the state.

During a press conference on Monday morning, Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise announced that a "mandatory evacuation order" was being imposed for Zone A of the county. Wise also announced that a voluntary evacuation order was being issued for Zone B of the county.

An evacuation map published by Hillsborough County shows that the mandatory evacuation is for many residents along Tampa Bay. According to Wise, the evacuation orders are set to go into effect at 2 p.m. local time Monday. "We did not make this decision easily, but the storm poses a serious threat and we must do everything we can to protect our residents," Wise said.

Further information on the evacuation zones in Hillsborough County can be found on the county's website.

The evacuation order comes as Ian was upgraded to a hurricane and is expected to make landfall in Florida in the coming days.

"Ian is expected to produce heavy rainfall and instances of flash flooding and possible mudslides in areas of higher terrain...Considerable flooding impacts are possible later this week in West Central Florida," the National Hurricane Center said. "Additional flash and urban flooding, and flooding on rivers across the Florida Peninsula and parts of the Southeast cannot be ruled out for later this week."

"Ian is expected to be a major hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the middle of this week. Regardless of Ian's exact track and intensity, there is a risk of life-threatening storm surge, hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall along the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of the week," the National Hurricane Center added in its update.

In a press release on Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' office announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the governor's request "for an emergency declaration for the State of Florida as a result of Tropical Storm Ian."

"This declaration includes Category B Public Assistance, which provides emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance," the release said.

During the press conference on Monday morning, Wise told residents that emergency evacuation shelters will be open but noted that they should be used as a last resort for residents.

"They are not comfortable places. They could be crowded and they could be noisy," Wise said.

Newsweek reached out to Hillsborough County for further comment.