Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), said on Tuesday that the National Hurricane Center had upgraded hurricane Ian to a Category 3 storm upon landfall in Cuba and as it makes its way to Florida.

She said as it nears the coast it will slow down its speed, which would mean Floridians will experience the storm's impacts "for a very long time." The biggest concern, she said, was storm surge, with significant rainfall also expected.

Criswell was providing the update alongside White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The storm tore through western Cuba as a major hurricane and is making its way towards Florida, where it is expected to intensify into a Category 4 storm before hitting the state. Approximately 2.5 million people have already been ordered to evacuate ahead of its anticipated landfall on Wednesday.

Criswell added that while there is often a focus on where the "cone" of hurricane Ian will go — referencing the projected path of the storm — there will be impacts "across the state of Florida." She said this could include large amounts of inland flooding, tornado watches in the southern parts of the state, and the hurricane-force winds and storm surge that will be seen at landfall. She also encouraged people not to be complacent based on past near-misses, saying they need to listen to local officials.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said damage is expected across a wide area regardless of where the storm makes landfall, and people should be prepared for power outages.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center warned Fort Myers is in the hurricane zone, and Tampa and St. Petersburg could get their first direct hit by a major hurricane since 1921.

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