Hurricane Ian: Evacuations, route delays, airport closures

(NewsNation) — Hurricane Ian is just hours away from making landfall off Florida’s west coast, and time to evacuate is running out.

Contra flow is in place along most major east Florida roads, which means drivers can drive against the direction of traffic just to get out of Sarasota and Fort Myers areas.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference Wednesday that it is too late to evacuate for residents who are in the storm’s track.

As of 8:30 a.m. ET, the Florida Department of Transportation has not made any announcements about shutting off major roads that are in the most critical evacuation zones, especially with this more southern track. Major roads that could end up being shut down include I-75 and US 41, which is why officials are telling people to get out now because they may not have the opportunity to do so Wednesday afternoon.

Airport closures across Florida: