Hurricane Ian: More Than 1 Million Floridians Without power

Hurricane Ian is the second major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.

Ian is a powerful category four storm, bringing severe flooding, high winds and storm surges to the Florida coast.

So far, two people have died from the hurricane, both in Pinar del Río, Cuba.

When it comes to hurricanes, there's more to them than meets the eye.

Over one million Floridians are currently without electricity, according to tracker PowerOutages.us.

US President Joe Biden said Ian is incredibly dangerous, and he urged residents to obey all warnings related to the category four storm.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned people in the storm's path to get ready for "a nasty, nasty" couple of days.

As the storm heads inland, it is expected to weaken, but residents in central Florida could still experience hurricane-force winds.

US Border Patrol is looking for up to 23 migrants missing after their ship sank during the storm. 

The Republican governor thanked other US states for sending resources to Florida to help in its preparations and recovery.

The storm's wind speeds, currently in category 4, put it just shy of a Category 5 designation on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the most severe classification for storms with maximum sustained winds of at least 157 mph.

Here is a breakdown of the hurricane categories:

• Category 1 (max sustained winds of 74-95 mph): Very dangerous winds will produce some damage. Well-constructed frame homes could have damage to roof, shingles, vinyl siding and gutters. Large branches of trees will snap and shallowly rooted trees may be toppled. Extensive damage to power lines and poles likely will result in power outages that could last a few to several days.

• Category 2 (max sustained winds of 96-110 mph): Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage. Well-constructed frame homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Many shallowly rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and block numerous roads. Near-total power loss is expected with outages that could last from several days to weeks.

• Category 3 (max sustained winds of 111-129 mph): Devastating damage will occur. Well-built framed homes may incur major damage or removal of roof decking and gable ends. Many trees will be snapped or uprooted, blocking numerous roads. Electricity and water will be unavailable for several days to weeks after the storm passes.

• Category 4 (max sustained winds of 130-156 mph): Catastrophic damage will occur. Well-built framed homes can sustain severe damage with loss of most of the roof structure and/or some exterior walls. Most trees will be snapped or uprooted and power poles downed. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Category 5 (max sustained winds of 157 mph or higher): Catastrophic damage will occur. A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

Disney World, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in Tampa are shut, while Nasa postponed a moon rocket launch.

The landfall zone has miles of sandy beaches, scores of resort hotels and numerous mobile home parks.

Five cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers have reportedly had their trips extended or re-routed amid port closures caused by Hurricane Ian.

3,500 flights have been cancelled for Wednesday and Thursday in the US.

Major airlines are waiving fees for affected travellers.

Heavy rainfall will spread across the peninsula throughout Thursday and reach parts of the southeastern US later this week and over the weekend.