With pressure of 937mb its landfall is likely to be met by a substantial storm surge (the main cause of a storm surge is high winds pushing the seawater towards the coast, causing it to pile up there. There is also a smaller contribution from the low pressure at the centre of the storm “pulling” the water level up, by about 1 cm for every 1 millibar change in pressure.). Ian could have a surge of more than 12ft (3.66m). A huge area of coastline including most the Eastern Seaboard and extending west through Texas is likely to affected in some way.
Rainfall could reach 20in (500mm) over 24 hours. Much of Florida is low lying, thus in extreme danger of flooding. The Florida Keys are already suffering from flooding.
Disney World, Sea World and the Kennedy Space Centre are all shutting down. Nearly four million meals and 3.5 million litres of water have also been prepared for those who are in need. Cuba is recovering from the impact of Hurricane Ian which shut down the countries electricity supply and caused at least 2 deaths.
Hurricanes are subject to a number of climate change-related influences:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/hurricane-ian-live-updates-rcna49729
Warmer sea surface temperatures intensify tropical storm wind speeds, giving them the potential to deliver more damage if they make landfall. Over the 39-year period from 1979-2017, the number of major hurricanes has increased while the number of smaller hurricanes has decreased. Based on modeling, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an increase in Category 4 and 5 hurricanes, alongside increased hurricane wind speeds. Warmer sea temperatures also cause wetter hurricanes, with 10-15 percent more precipitation from storms projected. Recent storms such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017 (which dropped more than 60 inches in some locations), Florence in 2018 (with over 35 inches) and Imelda in 2019 (44 inches) demonstrate the devastating floods that can be triggered by these high-rain hurricanes. 90% of global warming is absorbed by the oceans.
Estimated insurance costs could exceed $100billion. This may mean that being a climate denier is irrelevant – the financial markets will force action!
For interest England is about 0.77 the size of Florida.