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MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard launched a search Wednesday for 23 people who, among a group of Cuban migrants, attempted to cross the Florida Straits as Hurricane Ian made its way past the Florida Keys.

The U.S. Border Patrol said four migrants swam to shore on Stock Island in the Lower Keys around 7 a.m.

The group told agents they were with ...Read more

MIAMI — Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Cayo Costa, an island off the coast of Fort Myers, at 3 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, then came ashore just south of Punta Gorda an hour later.

The National Hurricane Center said the massive Category 4 storm made landfall on the barrier island with 150 mph maximum sustained winds ...Read more

MIAMI — Hurricane Ian has caused Florida’s bustling travel industry to come to a near standstill.

Hundreds of flights have been canceled, theme parks closed their gates, ports shut down and several cruises are canceled, as Floridians brace for Hurricane Ian after it made landfall around Fort Myers on Wednesday.

With South Florida outside ...Read more

MIAMI — Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Cayo Costa, an island off the coast of Fort Myers, at 3 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday.

The storm was already “causing catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding” in southwest Florida early Wednesday afternoon, the beginning of what promised to be a damaging path across the ...Read more

Most of Cuba’s 11 million people remained without electricity on Wednesday, after the failure of one of the country’s main power plants Tuesday afternoon brought down the entire electrical grid.

The effects of Hurricane Ian, which battered western Cuba, especially the westernmost Pinar del Río province, on Tuesday with Category 3 winds and...Read more

MIAMI — Hurricane Ian, with landfall still hours away, was already “causing catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding” in southwest Florida early Wednesday afternoon, the beginning of what promised to be a damaging path across the peninsula.

In a 2 p.m. update, the National Hurricane Center said the massive Category 4 storm was already...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — A rare phenomenon caused by Hurricane Ian sucked water away from the shore of Tampa Bay Wednesday morning, another symptom of the impending storm.

Around 8 a.m., the tide was beginning to recede from Tampa Bay. The phenomenon is called a “reverse storm surge,” and it’s when storm winds push water out of the bay, according ...Read more

VENICE, Fla. — The beachfront town of Venice was deserted Wednesday morning as Ian stalked the Gulf coast and 60 mph gusts blowing sheets of rain raked streets strewn with tree branches.

A lone cyclist who said his name is Adam pedaled through the downpour to the beach to take a look at the whitecaps, then to a parking garage where he had ...Read more

MIAMI — A new tropical depression formed in the central Atlantic on Wednesday morning and is forecast to turn into Tropical Storm Julia soon, forecasters say.

Tropical Depression 11 formed about 690 miles west of the Cabo Verde Islands and has maximum sustained winds near 35 mph with higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center’...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Southern California is at the tail end of its mini-heat wave, with temperatures in some areas expected to reach triple digits on Wednesday before cooling off into the weekend.

The National Weather Service in Oxnard extended the heat warning until 8 p.m. Wednesday for the San Gabriel, Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys and ...Read more

MIAMI — Ian strengthened early Wednesday into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, with 155 mph winds just a tick below Cat 5 strength and a wind field that covered almost half of the state. The hurricane is forecast to whip most of Florida with catastrophic winds, flooding rain and life-threatening storm surge as it gets closer to a ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — As Hurricane Ian grew into a monster storm on Wednesday, it drew troubling comparisons to Hurricane Charley, which devastated Charlotte County in 2004, and one disturbing difference.

While the storms’ tracks were shaping up to be similar, experts noted how Ian dwarfed Charley. By 3 a.m., Wednesday, the diameter of Ian’s eye ...Read more

ATLANTA — Hurricane Ian has driven airlines to cancel hundreds of flights to and from Florida on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tampa International Airport suspended all operations starting Tuesday at 5 p.m. to secure jet bridges, ground equipment and aircraft in advance of the storm, and said it planned to assess damage as soon as it is safe to do ...Read more

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp urged Georgians to take caution as Hurricane Ian gains intensity off the western coast of Florida, threatening to bring torrential rain, dangerous storm surges and sweeping winds to the state this week.

The hurricane, now a Category 4 storm, is expected to bring winds exceeding 130 mph when it makes landfall in ...Read more

In the event of a disaster or severe storm like Hurricane Ian, many people choose to own a generator to help keep things running during an extended power outage.

However, as helpful as generators may be in these circumstances, it’s still important to take certain safety precautions.

One possible unexpected risk from precariously operating a ...Read more

MIAMI — Ian strengthened early Wednesday into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane that is close to Cat 5 strength. The hurricane is forecast to whip Florida with catastrophic winds, flooding rain and life-threatening storm surge as it gets closer to a west coast landfall Wednesday afternoon.

The storm surge predictions soared ...Read more

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — Leida Rodriguez had always desired to own a little home by the sea.

Six years ago, she and her husband, Jaime Castellano, arrived in Villa Esperanza, a small community in the southern municipality of Salinas where the Caribbean Sea meets the Nigua River, to make that dream come true.

“It is a very peaceful place, a ...Read more

SALINAS, Puerto Rico — Deogracio Arce and Laura Mulero sifted through the belongings that Hurricane Fiona had toppled, destroyed or buried after flooding the bottom level of their home in nearly 5 feet of water.

“Two cars, the washer, the dryer, the engine for the well, the generator,” said Arce, 70, pointing to ruined appliances and ...Read more

Hurricane Ian ripped through Cuba Tuesday and took out the island nation’s fragile power grid, leaving millions in the dark, just like Puerto Rico on Monday.

Reuters reported Tuesday evening that the entire island was without power as the storm moved on from the Caribbean and headed toward southwest Florida.

The entire island being without ...Read more