Why Hurricane Ian poses a unique threat to Tampa Bay

Hurricane Ian would pose particular risks to the city of Tampa and the Tampa Bay area if it lands there due to the Gulf Coast’s geography, rising sea levels and lagging resilience planning.

The storm made landfall on the west coast of Cuba in the early hours of Tuesday morning shortly after becoming a major hurricane, then entered the Gulf of Mexico.

The bulk of Florida’s west coast, including the Tampa Bay are, is currently under a storm surge warning, and several counties have issued mandatory or voluntary evacuations.