Hurricane Ian close to Cat 5 in strength - RMS

Hurricane Ian, currently at 155mph, is just short of 2mph before it reaches Category 5, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane wind scale, according to RMS. 

Ian is forecast to continue moving north-northeast over the southeast Gulf of Mexico; this motion is expected to bring the center of Ian onshore along the southwest coast of Florida later today, Wednesday September 28.

Some fluctuations in intensity are possible before Ian reaches the coast of Florida, but at this time, the National Hurricane Center forecast has Ian making landfall as a Category 4 major hurricane near Port Charlotte shortly after 18:00 UTC (14:00 local time) on Wednesday September 28.

Catastrophic wind damage is likely where the core of Ian moves onshore. 

Hurricane-force winds are expected will begin along the west coast of Florida in the coming hours. The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the right of the storm’s center, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves.

Water levels could reach 8 to 12 ft (2.4 to 3.6 m) in the region between Longboat Key and Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor. Heavy rainfall will spread across Florida trough today.

Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flooding is possible across portions of central Florida with considerable flooding in southern and northern Florida.