Hurricane Ian Forces Mandatory Evacuation of 300,000 in Tampa Bay

A house with "Go Away Ian" painted on the boarded up windows is seen ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Indian Shores, 25 miles west of Tampa, Fla., on Sept. 26, 2022. Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images

As Hurricane Ian strengthened into a Category 2 over the Caribbean, authorities in Florida on Monday ordered the evacuation of around 300,000 people at risk of potentially deadly storm surges in the Tampa Bay region.

Ian is currently expected to make landfall over the Florida Panhandle on the state’s west coast on Thursday. Its intensity and trajectory are uncertain, but there are predictions it could become a Category 4.