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Hurricane Ian Could Trigger Tornadoes in the Southeast

While Florida is preparing for Hurricane Ian to make landfall between Fort Meyers and Tampa late Wednesday/early Thursday, weather experts are warning about the possibility of the storm causing tornadoes in the southeast of Florida and other east coast states, including South Carolina.

According to The State, Hurricane Ian will be heading towards South Carolina later this week. However, while the state is preparing for the storm’s excessive winds that could cause extensive damage, there is a possibility of tornadoes as well. 

South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD) further explained that it has notified key local and state agencies to be ready to respond if the need arises. “People in potentially vulnerable areas should review their plans and consider actions they will need to take if the storm threatens the state. Everyone should monitor the storm via local news media and follow updates from the National Hurricane Center, especially people in low-lying areas throughout the state and along the South Carolina coast.”

SCEMD Director, Kim Stenson also spoke about what kind of damage South Carolinians can expect from the storm. “Much of what South Carolina experiences will depend on where and when Hurricane Ian does makes landfall. While we are not expecting the full force of a hurricane-strength storm, everyone in South Carolina, from the Upstate to the Midlands, the Pee Dee, and the Lowcountry should be prepared to take personal safety precautions if advised to do so by your local emergency managers.”

As previously reported, FEMA Director Deanne Criswell wanted about how Hurricane Ian’s impact may cause tornadoes in the Orlando area.

Florida Power & Light CEO Says There Will ‘Challenges in The Days Ahead’ Due to Hurricane Ian

CEO of Florida Power & Light, Eric Silage also stated that there will be challenges in the days of ahead due to Hurricane Ian’s impacts. “We have a ground that is very saturated from a lot of rain over the course of the past weeks and months,” he explained. “And so we fully expect that there will be a lot of trees that go over. There will be a lot of debris that flies through the air.”

Silagy also warned about outages that could last between 12 and 24 hours. He also touched on tornadoes possibly developing. “We may see tornadoes. We may see very strong pockets of damage, which cause us to actually have to rebuild the system, which will just take longer to [restore power].”

Meanwhile, Palm Beach County officials reveal the steps they are going to be taking to protect residents from high winds and heavy rains. Road crews cleared debris from storm drains in the area. Teams were also speaking to the homeless and offered them shelter from the storm.