"You can hide from the wind, but you need to run from that water": Tampa mayor on Hurricane Ian threat
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor urged those who have not evacuated the area as Hurricane Ian approaches to do so, predicting that the city will lose power and could see a tidal surge.
"We used to have the old 'Well, we can just wait this out and see what happens,'" Castor told "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell on Tuesday. "We're talking 10- to 15-foot tidal surge. Nobody can withstand that. There's no waiting that out."
Castor said the city is shutting down as Ian approaches Florida's west coast. The National Hurricane Center predicted the storm could hit the region late Wednesday as a Category 3 storm.
"We always use the adage, you can hide from the wind, but you need to run from that water," Castor said.
Hurricane Ian could be the first major hurricane to hit Tampa and St. Petersburg in a century, though the latest path projection means it could make landfall further south.
"It seems to be taking somewhat of a more easterly trajectory, which means landfall, possibly a little bit south of us," Castor said. "I'm feeling better about the latest track. You never want to wish anything negative on your neighbors. But the scenario of Hurricane Ian stalling right outside of Tampa Bay is the worst case."
