DETROIT (WWJ) - As Hurricane Ian roared into a major storm Tuesday morning, the American Red Cross in Michigan mobilized volunteers to head to Florida to help with disaster relief and response efforts.
American Red Cross Michigan Region said a team of 12 volunteers will deploy to the Sunshine State's west coast to staff shelter locations across the state. The Red Cross said more deployments could happen in the coming days as relief efforts continue in Florida.
"We have ongoing boots-on-the-ground disaster relief operations across North America....we’re pre-positioning teams in the gulf coast for Hurricane Ian,” said Darwin K. Roche, regional disaster officer for the Red Cross of Michigan.
“Historically, the Michigan Region of the Red Cross has been a leader in coordinating volunteer deployments where the need is most," Roche continued in a prepared statement. "Our volunteers are stepping up once again to meet that need in communities in the path of Hurricane Ian.”
Experts warn this could be a storm that residents in West Florida have been dreading for decades.
"This is nightmare scenario for western Florida, this is one we've dreaded for awhile," AccuWeather Meteorologist Dean DeVore told WWJ. "There's a a historical hurricane that I think that goes back to 1921. If you know that geography and how people have built up right next to the water in that area, it's going to be devastating."
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, Ian has sustained major hurricane status as a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds around 125 mph, AccuWeather meteorologists said. The storm sits about 10 miles north-northeast of the Cuban city of Pinar Del Rio and is said to be morning north at a speed of 12 mph.
According to Colorado State University Meteorologist Phil Klotzbach, who specializes in tropical weather forecasts, Ian is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Cuba since Hurricane Irma did so as a Category 5 storm in 2017, AccuWeather reported. Klotzbach also said Ian is the strongest hurricane in the western Caribbean since Felix in 2007.
DeVore said forecasters predict Ian will strike the mouth of Tampa Bay as a Category 3 hurricane or possibly, a Category 4 storm.
The American Red Cross said whatever the storm prediction is, they will be ready.
“We’re grateful to our Michigan volunteers who will be providing support to our disaster relief efforts,” Roche said. “The Red Cross continues to monitor the situation closely and is working with our partners in Florida to pre-position volunteers and supplies ahead of Ian. We’ll have disaster teams and more relief supplies on the way to support those impacted by Ian.”
For Michigan residents looking to make it in or out to Tampa Airport, there are only three flights inbound from Detroit as commercial air traffic is to be grounded after 5 p.m. Tuesday, WWJ's Luke Sloan reported.
The closure is to allow for staff to prepare the air field and secure any items, officials said.
Delta Airlines currently has flights leaving Detroit Metro at 9:05 a.m. and 2:19 p.m. -- a later flight has already been cancelled. Tampa flights arriving at Metro are Flight 2867 at 10:43 a.m. and Flight 2142 at 3:18 p.m.
The St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport also plans to shut down at 1 p.m. today, Sloan said.
Passengers are being advised by airline officials to be patient and plan ahead of time as both airports will be shut down indefinitely until Hillsborough County and Pinellas County lift their Zone A evacuation orders.
Devore told WWJ that the areas north and south of Tampa Bay are all in the path of the dangerous storm, which is scheduled for landfall on Thursday.
Stay with WWJ for AccuWeather updates on Hurricane Ian as it moves closer to Florida.