Florida braces for major damage after Hurricane Ian slams Cuba with 125mph winds

People wait in lines to fuel their vehicles at a Costco Wholesale store in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Ian, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. Ian was growing stronger as it approached the western tip of Cuba on a track to hit the west coast of Florida as a major hurricane as early as Wednesday. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Hurricane Ian has torn into western Cuba as a major hurricane, with nothing to stop it from intensifying into a Category 4 storm before it hits Florida, where officials ordered 2.5 million people to evacuate before it crashes ashore on Wednesday.

Ian made landfall in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, where officials set up 55 shelters, evacuated 50,000 people, rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region.