Hurricane Ian is battering the Florida peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds, and flooding.

Current position and speed:

LOCATION...26.9N 82.0W

ABOUT 5 MI...10 KM E OF PUNTA GORDA FLORIDA

ABOUT 120 MI...190 KM SSW OF ORLANDO FLORIDA

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...140 MPH...220 KM/H

PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNE OR 20 DEGREES AT 8 MPH...13 KM/H

MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...945 MB...27.91 INCHES

Current Watches and Warnings:

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...

* Chokoloskee to Anclote River, including Tampa Bay

* Sebastian Inlet to Flagler/Volusia County Line

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...

* Suwannee River southward to Flamingo

* Tampa Bay

* Flagler/Volusia Line to the mouth of the South Santee River

* St. Johns River

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...

* Indian Pass to the Anclote River

* Flamingo to Sebastian Inlet

* Flagler/Volusia County Line to Surf City

* Flamingo to Chokoloskee

* Lake Okeechobee

* Bimini and Grand Bahama Islands

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...

* North of South Santee River to Little River Inlet

* Florida Bay

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...

* Flagler/Volusia County Line to the South Santee River

* Lake Okeechobee

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for...

* North of Surf City to Cape Lookout

At 500 PM EDT (2100 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Ian was located near latitude 26.9 North, longitude 82.0 West. Ian is moving toward the north-northeast near 8 mph (13 km/h). On the forecast track, the center of Ian is expected to move across central Florida tonight and Thursday morning and emerge over the western Atlantic by late Thursday. Ian is forecast to turn northward on Friday and approach the northeastern Florida coast, Georgia and South Carolina coasts late Friday.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 140 mph (220 km/h) with higher gusts. Ian is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Further weakening is expected for the next day or so, but Ian could be near hurricane strength when it moves over the Florida East coast tomorrow, and when it approaches the northeastern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts late Friday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 50 miles (85 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km). A WeatherFlow station in Grove City recently reported sustained winds of 95 mph (153 km/h) and a wind gust of 128 mph (208 km/h). A University of Florida Coastal Monitoring Program wind tower recently reported sustained winds of 89 mph (143 km/h) with a gust to 114 mph (183 km/h).

The estimated minimum central pressure is 945 mb (27.91 inches).

STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide.

* Englewood to Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor...12-18 ft

* Middle of Longboat Key to Englewood...6-10 ft

* Bonita Beach to Chokoloskee...8-12 ft

* Chokoloskee to East Cape Sable...5-8 ft

* Anclote River to Middle of Longboat Key, including Tampa Bay...4-6 ft

* Flagler/Volusia County Line to Altamaha Sound...4-6 ft

* Altamaha Sound to South Santee River...3-5 ft

* Suwannee River to Anclote River...3-5 ft

* St. Johns River north of Julington...3-5 ft

* St. Johns River south of Julington...2-4 ft

* East Cape Sable to Card Sound Bridge...2-4 ft

* South Santee River to Little River Inlet...2-4 ft

* Patrick Air Force Base to Flagler/Volusia County Line...1-3 ft

* East of Little River Inlet to Cape Lookout...1-3 ft

* Dry Tortugas and Florida Keys...1-3 ft

WIND: Catastrophic wind damage is likely near the core of Ian. Hurricane conditions are ongoing within the Hurricane Warning area now and will slowly spread northeastward through the day. Hurricane conditions are expected to begin along the east coast of Florida in the Hurricane Warning area starting early Thursday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area on Thursday through late Friday.

Tropical storm conditions are occuring in parts of the warning area on the east coast of Florida and should spread northward through the northeast Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts tonight and Thursday. Tropical storm conditions are possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area starting on Friday.

RAINFALL: Ian is expected to produce the following storm total rainfall:

* Florida Keys and South Florida: 6 to 8 inches, with local maxima

up to 12 inches.

* Central and Northeast Florida: 12 to 20 inches, with local

maxima up to 30 inches.

* Coastal Georgia and Lowcountry of South Carolina: 4 to 8 inches,

with local maxima of 12 inches.

* Eastern Georgia and Coastal South Carolina: 3 to 6 inches, with

local maxima of 8 inches across western North Carolina

TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible this evening into tonight across east central Florida.

Producer Curtis