Hurricane Ian: Canadians in Florida hunker down as storm lashes state

Isolated tornadoes spun off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast.

Summer Willett stocked up on food, water and other basic supplies as she prepared to ride out hurricane Ian at her in-laws’ home in Florida.

The Cornwall, Ont., woman travelled south recently to spend a couple of months with family in Palm Beach, Fla., but her visit took an unexpected turn as the hurricane, which hit Florida’s west coast on Wednesday, moved across the state.

The 26-year-old was out getting supplies Wednesday in preparation for the major storm.

“We’re buying water and canned food and flashlights and stuff like that,” she said in a phone interview.

“We’re going to do our best to stay inside and keep safe …. But we’re not leaving as of now. We’re going to be in the house until the storm passes.”

The massive Category 4 storm lashed Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday with heavy winds and rain after strengthening to a storm that could push 3.6 to 5.5 metres of water across more than 400 kilometres of Florida’s western coastline.

Isolated tornadoes spun off the storm well ahead of landfall. One tornado damaged small planes and a hangar at the North Perry Airport, west of Hollywood along the Atlantic coast.

Willett said she and her family had already seen some rough weather.