Terrifying image of the Sunshine Skyway bridge before the passage of Hurricane Ian 1:02
(CNN Spanish) --
There are counties in Florida where it is no longer possible to evacuate: now the only option is to protect yourself as best as possible in your home before the arrival of Hurricane Ian, which according to forecasts will soon make landfall in the state.
Hurricane Ian remains a high-end Category 4 cyclone with sustained winds of 155 mph (249 km/h) and higher gusts, which will make it the strongest cyclone to ever make landfall on the western coast of the Florida panhandle. .
Last hour of Hurricane Ian live: trajectory, news, arrival in Florida and blackout in Cuba
Mandatory evacuations of coastal communities, mobile homes and low-lying areas have been ordered in 12 Florida counties.
However, in several of them like Collier, Sarasota and Charlotte, it is already too late to leave the houses.
"If you're in any of those counties, it's no longer possible to safely evacuate. It's time to hunker down and prepare for this storm. This is a powerful storm that needs to be treated as you would treat" a tornado approaching your home, he said. this Wednesday morning Governor Ron DeSantis.
If you were unable to evacuate your home in time, here are some recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diseases (CDC).
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In addition to
securing the
external doors, lock the internal doors.
Go to a small
, windowless
room or hallway on the lowest floor of your home that is not at risk of flooding.
It's important to stay away from windows because you could be injured by broken glass or flying debris in high winds.
Have on hand the
emergency kit
that you have prepared before the arrival of the hurricane or that you have in your home.
Stay indoors until local officials say you can go outside.
"Sometimes the weather calms down in the middle of a storm but then quickly turns bad again," the CDC explains, so you
shouldn't rely on it even if things seem to calm down
.
Follow the official information carefully.
What happens if you call 911?
Authorities in areas in the path of Hurricane Ian have warned residents that response teams will not go out once the wind gusts reach a certain speed.
"Most emergency response agencies have gone ahead and stopped emergency service at this time due to high winds. If you call 911, unfortunately during the height of the storm we can't get out there to provide assistance," said Patrick Fuller, director of emergency management for Charlotte County.
"They will help you get through the situation, but help will not come immediately," he added.
This is true even in medical emergencies, explained the mayor of Fort Meyers: those who respond to 911 calls will guide you, but there is no guarantee that they can rescue you until it is not safe to work on the ground.
