Warning Hurricane Ian will put MILLIONS at risk when Category 4 storm triggers ‘catastrophic’ floods with 120mph winds

MILLIONS of Americans are on high alert as Hurricane Ian moves toward Florida and threatens to make landfall as a Category Four storm.

The National Hurricane Center has warned of flooding and winds up to 120 miles per hour as Ian approaches the west coast of Florida as "an extremely dangerous major hurricane."

"People in southwest Florida, this is going to likely make landfall as a Category Four hurricane," Governor Ron DeSantis said on Tuesday night as Ian moved toward the state as a Category Three storm.

"There will be catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge on the Gulf Coast region.

"There's also potential for flash flooding and river flooding with 10-20 inches across central and northeast Florida.

"If you are in an evacuation zone ... your time to evacuate is coming to an end."

He warned his residents: "You need to evacuate now."

Shelters have been opened in all affected counties as the hurricane is expected to continue gaining strength before landfall.

Some areas were already feeling the effects on Tuesday night as a possible tornado at North Perry Airport in Hollywood flipped small planes.

Traffic jams have also occurred throughout the state as residents evacuate.

'THIS IS NOT A DRILL'

Winds of 125mph were reported as the Category 3 storm passed over Cuba.

Ian is believed to be the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Cuba since Irma in 2017.

More than 50,000 people were evacuated before the storm destroyed buildings.

Around 2.5million Floridians were under orders to evacuate as Hurricane Ian churned toward the state.

Meteorologists have warned that surges could reach 10 feet if they peak at high tide.

Timothy Dudley, the Hillsborough County Emergency Management Director, has urged Floridians to take the storm “seriously.”

He said: “It’s the real deal. This is not a drill.”

Governor Ron DeSantis warned that Ian is a "really, really big hurricane" and revealed that 5,000 National Guardsman have been activated.

Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center echoed concerns about the danger of “life-threatening storm surge” along the west coast of Florida.

DeSantis warned: “'Mother nature is a very fearsome adversary, please heed those evacuation warnings.

"You could see power outages, inland flooding, various types of tree damage from wind so be prepared for that.

"When you have five to 10 feet of storm surge, that’s not something that you want to be a part of.”

The Disney parks Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

Residents who live in coastal areas around Tampa have been urged to evacuate.

The population in Tampa St-Petersburg has surged in recent years as it has grown by more than 365,000 people between 2010 to 2020, according to the state's Department of Transportation.

At least 40 patients have been evacuated by helicopter from HSA Florida Pasadena hospital in St. Petersburg and non-critical surgeries were also canceled, according to The Tampa Bay Times.

And, patients who were due to have critical surgery have been restricted to one guest only.

'CATASTROPHIC' FLOOD WARNING

Tampa and St Petersburg could be hit directly by their first hurricane since 1921.

National Weather Center forecasters have warned that isolated tornadoes could form in rainbands.

And, they urged residents to make sure their emergency kits are stocked up.

DeSantis revealed that more than two dozen school districts have closed and highway tolls across the state have been suspended.

Travelers that are due to head to Florida have been urged to check their flights before they arrive at the airport.

Floridians were seen rushing to grocery stores stocking up on supplies while others were seen barricading windows and putting sandbags outside homes.

And, Nasa has been forced to shelter its Artemis I rocket because of the hurricane.

The NHC has warned that heavy rainfall will spread across the state in the coming days.

Hurricane Ian caused widespread flooding and power outages across Cuba.

Ian made landfall in La Coloma at around 4:30am ET, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Forecasters predicted that storm surges reaching 14 feet could hit the Caribbean island.

Workers in the capital Havana were seen unclogging drains as they were worried about the impact of flooding.

Local Adyz Ladron told the Associated Press: "I am very scared because my house gets completely flooded with water up to here", as he pointed to his chest.

While health worker Abel Rodrigues said: "I hope we escape this one because it would be the end of us. We already have so little."

Residents were seen securing their homes before Ian hit.

Cubans were seen wearing waterproofs and plastic ponchos as they walked into downtown Havana.

And, dramatic pictures showed the sea being whipped up by the ferocious winds.