National Guard is mobilized as Florida gets ready for Hurricane Ian: 300,000 people are evacuated in Tampa as monster storm ramps up to major category 3 and 125mph winds lash Cuba before it is due to pass west of Florida Keys TODAY

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Thousands of members of the National Guard are on standby in Florida as the state braces for Hurricane Ian, which is set to bring a trail of destruction today as a result of 15ft waves and 140mph winds.

Hurricane Ian has been upgraded to a Category 3 storm by the National Hurricane Center and made landfall in western Cuba at 4.30am local time, lashing the island with rain and sustained winds of 125mph. 

Thousands of locals were evacuated from across Cuba, with officials in the Sunshine State warning residents to 'get out now'.

After barrelling its way through Cuba, the hurricane is forecast to strengthen even further over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters before reaching Florida as early as Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with top winds of 140mph.

The hurricane is expected to past west of the Florida Keys late Tuesday before approaching the west coast of Florida on Wednesday, prompting locals to scramble to stock up on food, water and medicine. 

Local officials in Florida ordered more than 300,000 people to evacuate their homes in Hillsborough - including Tampa - Manatee, and Hernando counties, with more expected to follow.

A surge of up to 10ft of ocean water and 10 inches of rain is predicted to drench the Tampa Bay area, with as much as 15 inches in isolated areas - enough water to inundate coastal communities.

Terrified residents have been desperately digging huge trenches to redirect flood water from their homes while others have stripped supermarket shelves bare of water and essentials.

Floridians lined up for hours in Tampa to collect bags of sand and stock up on essentials from supermarkets as they prepared to bunker down ahead of the monster weather front.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties as he called up 7,000 National Guard members to help with the effort. 

Hurricane Ian 'will bring heavy rains, strong winds, flash flooding, storm surge, along with isolated tornado activity along Florida's Gulf Coast,' DeSantis said at a press conference in Tallahassee on Monday.

Tampa International Airport said that it would suspend its operations on Tuesday at 5pm local time (2100 GMT) before the hurricane is set to hit the area.  

In Cuba, 50,000 people in Cuba's western Pinar del Rio province were evacuated to safer locations, 6,000 of them to 55 state-run shelters and the rest to the homes of relatives and friends.

The island's west coast is set to see as much as 14ft of storm surge, as officials rushed to protect crops in China's main tobacco-growing region.

But the hurricane won't linger over Cuba - it will slow down over the Gulf of Mexico, growing wider and stronger, 'which will have the potential to produce significant wind and storm surge impacts along the west cost of Florida,' the National Hurricane Center said.

After barrelling its way through Cuba, the hurricane is forecast to strengthen even further over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters before reaching Florida as early as Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with top winds of 140mph

Bare supermarket shelves in a St. Petersburg store on Monday as grocery stores across the state report being sold out on various vital supplies as Hurricane Ian looms on the state

A Home Depot customer waits to get her hands on a propane tank as like grocery stores, hardware stores begin to sell out of certain items 

Hurricane Ian, shown here over the central Caribbean, is expected to make landfall in the United States on Wednesday

Thousands of members of the National Guard are on standby in Florida as the state braces for Hurricane Ian, which is set to bring a trail of destruction as a result of 15ft waves and 140mph winds

After barrelling its way through Cuba, the hurricane is forecast to strengthen even further over the warm Gulf of Mexico waters before reaching Florida as early as Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with top winds of 140mph

Floridians have been urged to 'get out now' as hurricane barrels towards Florida and is set to bring 15ft waves and 140mph winds

Huge queues snaked back for miles on the I75 from South of Wildwood in Gainesville, Florida

Storm clouds are seen as Hurricane Ian approaches in St. Petersburg, Florida on September 26

A boarded up house with 'Go Away Ian' painted on the boarded up windows, is seen ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ian in Indian Shores, 25 miles west of Tampa

NASA have also been forced to delay the launch of its Artemis rocket again because of the hurricane barrelling towards the coast – meaning they will not be able to attempt anther launch for at least three weeks.

The 322-foot-tall rocket has been rolled back four miles to the Vehicle Assembly building at the Kennedy Space Center.

On Monday, DeSantis warned of heavy traffic amid reports that some highways were bumper-to-bumper for around 50 miles. 

The governor said: 'When you have millions of people in a metro area, no matter how it's done, you're going to have traffic. That's just the reality.' 

In a statement on rationing, a Publix spokesperson said: 'As we continue to monitor Ian, Publix locations may limit quantities of items, such as water, to best serve the majority of our customers.'

The statement went on: 'We have seen increased purchases on items such as bread, water, batteries and canned goods, just to name a few.'

Guidelines for hurricane preparation on Publix website encourages customers to stock up on water, powdered drinks, dried fruit, peanut butter and jelly and baby formula. At the time of writing, there are no limits placed on the purchase of items such as batteries and canned food. 

Elsewhere, in Clearwater, residents could be seen lining up for sandbags. 

A surge of up to 10ft of ocean water and 10 inches of rain is predicted to drench the Tampa Bay area, with as much as 15 inches in isolated areas - enough water to inundate coastal communities

Elsewhere, in Clearwater, along Florida's Gulf Coast, residents could be seen lining up for sandbags

Residents are being forced to queue for more than two hours to get sandbags ahead of the storm hitting

NASA have also been forced to delay the launch of its Artemis rocket again because of the hurricane barrelling towards the coast – meaning they will not be able to attempt anther launch for at least three weeks

A Gulfport Beach resident places sand bags as she prepares for Hurricane Ian

Floridians have packed into stores and ransacked the for snacks, materials and water to get through the hurricane - signs were put up warning shoppers

In a statement on rationing, a Publix spokesperson said: 'As we continue to monitor Ian, Publix locations may limit quantities of items, such as water, to best serve the majority of our customers'

Guidelines for hurricane preparation on Publix website encourages customers to stock up on water, powdered drinks, dried fruit, peanut butter and jelly and baby formula

Price-gauging for items has been reported across the state with the state's attorney general issuing a stern warning against the practice

In a press release, AG Ashley Moody's office said: 'Please watch Ian closely, and as you prepare for a potential storm strike, report incidences of price gouging to my office'

The Florida Governor on Monday warned the impacts from the storm will be 'far and wide' and felt on both coasts in the form of power outages and severe flooding

Hurricane Ian is expected to be the worst hurricane Tampa has seen since 1921, when 115mph winds battered the coast city and left a trail of devastation

Governor Ron DeSantis has waived weight restrictions for trucks carrying essential goods, with two million meals and a million gallons of water standing by ready to be distributed

According to GasBuddy, as of Monday morning, nearly all of Florida's gas stations were stocked with gas. A tweet from the oil and gas monitoring site said: 'So far, Florida is seeing minimal fuel outages across the state.

Speaking to WFOR-TV, a Floridian said that she went to her local store in order to buy water but left with nothing as the shelves were bare. 

In St. Cloud, just south of Orlando, a Publix customer told WESH: 'There was no water. There were a lot of seltzers and stuff like that -- the bubbly water, but no, no regular water.'

While a Walmart customer said: 'Water... I didn't really check that area, it was really crowded. I don't believe they have any more.'

Governor Ron DeSantis has waived weight restrictions for trucks carrying essential goods, with two million meals and a million gallons of water standing by ready to be distributed. 

The WESH report also quoted a shopper who was looking for batteries who said that they tried multiple stores but 'everyone's pretty much sold out.' 

Desperate Tampa residents began besieging home improvement stores today for plywood sheeting to cover their windows

At Home Depot in Hillsborough County, the lumber department was packed with homeowners and contractors scrambling for supplies

Steve Newberne (L) and Richard Latronita board up Gigi's restaurant in preparation for Ian's arrival in St. Petersburg

Luca Leguerchois (L) and Eglantine Leguerchois board up their Paradise Sweets store

Local officials warned residents 'do not wait' and stressed 'time is of the essence' as the monster storm loomed in the Caribbean Sea just south of Cuba

Ashopper who was looking for batteries said that they tried multiple stores but 'everyone's pretty much sold out'

A resident of Winter Park, Florida, Evelynn Passino, told the Orlando Sentinel: 'I'm not super worried about anything other than losing power. I think that's kind of the big risk for us here. So basically, [I'm] just doing whatever preparations I can do to make myself a little more comfortable.'

In addition, Passino said that she bought battery-powered fans from Amazon. 

Other casualties of the impending storm include Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist who has been forced to suspend his campaign and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who have been forced to move in with the Miami Dolphins in order to share their practice facility.  

The Sentinel article goes on to say that price-gauging for hardware items has been reported across the state. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody advised residents to contact the price gouging reporting service, 866-9NO-SCAM or log on to MyFloridaLegal.com. 

In a press release, Moody's office said: 'Please watch Ian closely, and as you prepare for a potential storm strike, report incidences of price gouging to my office.' 

Businesses can be fined up to $25,000 if they are found guilty of price gouging on items such as gas, water, food, lumber and hotel rooms.  

Elsewhere, terrified residents have started desperately digging huge trenches to redirect flood water . 

Ian strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane overnight Sunday, but it is feared it will warp into a major Category 4 this week - hitting Florida on Wednesday night or Thursday morning after battering Cuba.

It is expected to be the worst hurricane Tampa has seen since 1921, when 115mph winds battered the coast city and left a trail of devastation.

Huge swathes of the area was submerged under 10ft of water from the deadly surge, with breaking waves ripping apart buildings and killing eight people.

Ron DeSantis declared an emergency across the entire state and its 67 counties on Saturday afternoon in a sign of how concerned officials are.

The Florida Governor on Monday warned the impacts from the storm will be 'far and wide' and felt on both coasts in the form of power outages and severe flooding.

Hurricane Ian is expected to hit Florida midweek, either late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, and bring with it 130mph winds

Victoria Colson, 31, of Tampa loads sandbags into her truck along with other Tampa residents who waited for over 2 hours at Himes Avenue Complex to fill their 10 free sandbags on Sunday in Tampa, Florida

Hundreds of people were seen taking to the roads as tehy attempted to flee the Sunshine State ahead of the hurricane hitting 

Authorities in Cuba suspended classes in the Pinar del Rio province on Sunday and said they will begin evacuations on Monday as Ian was forecast to strengthen before reaching the western part of the island on its way to Florida

Home Depot on the city's Memorial Highway, the lumber department was packed with homeowners and contractors scrambling for supplies

Stores have started to run out of water and other basic supplies as many stockpile ahead of the storm hitting

People in Havana, Cuba are queuing for bread to stock up on bare essentials while waiting for Hurricane Ian to hit

The monster hurricane can be seen forming near Cuba ahead of thrashing Florida later this week

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said: 'For all practical purposes, get out right now.'

Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise said: 'Do not wait. Time is of the essence. Act now. We expect to have to evacuate over 300,000 people, and it will take some time, which is why we are starting now.' 

Desperate Tampa residents began besieging home improvement stores today for plywood sheeting to cover their windows.

At Home Depot on the city's Memorial Highway, the lumber department was packed with homeowners and contractors scrambling for supplies.

One, a partner in a gas station who would only give his name as Mr Byrd, said: 'I've got the sheets to board up the business.'

Asked he if would be leaving following the mandatory evacuation order for a huge part of Hillsborough County – the main county for Tampa, he replied: 'We are going to play it by ear.

'They haven't determined which way it's going to go, so it depends on how bad it looks later on.

'I've been through this before, with Hurricane Irma in 2017. We evacuated to Lakeland, Florida, and that got it. So you never know what's best.

With the man upstairs, I'm hoping like always things will swing in the right direction. We pray a lot.'

All public schools in Hillsborough County are shut from today (Monday) through Thursday.

Mr Byrd, pictured, was purchasing various plywood sheets to protect his business against the looming hurricane 

People have been desperate to fill up on gas, causing huge queues at many stations as others are preparing by sandbagging roads outside their properties in an attempt to limit the damage

Ian was upgraded to a hurricane early on Monday morning by the National Hurricane Center, warning of an 'additional rapid strengthening' 

Dozens of residents in Melbourne, Florida have been sandbagging and digging trenches in an attempt to protect their homes from the hurricane

The county's mandatory evacuation order is for Zone A, which is red on the Hillsborough map. People in Zone B have been told to consider voluntary evacuation.

Many have been left empty handed after others stockpiled the basic's such as water, with one woman telling CBS 'I tried to get water, but it's no more. not too much at this moment.'

People have been desperate to fill up on gas, causing huge queues at many stations as others are preparing by sandbagging roads outside their properties in an attempt to limit the damage.

Some residents in Florida are being forced to queue for more than two hours to get sandbags ahead of the storm hitting. 

Tampa, Miami, Cape Coral and Orlando are all seeing an increase in congestion higher than usual for this time of year, which could indicate more people are fleeing the state or are using their time to stock up on essentials. 

People in Havana, Cuba were spotted today queuing for bread to stock up on bare essentials while waiting for Hurricane Ian to hit, as fisherman prepare to move their boats from a canal. 

Jose Lugo told WFTV he knows what can happen if the worst hits and has been preparing by filling up bags of sand alongside other community members in Orange County.

He said: 'It's better to be prepared than sorry later, I was in Puerto Rico visiting my parents a couple days before Fiona hit. 

'I was helping them out, and now I'm here helping myself and everybody else.'

Fishermen in Cuba prepared to move their boats from a canal ahead of the storm hitting late on Monday

A huge queue of cars is pictured in Tampa, Florida as they flee the city ahead of the monster Hurricane Ian set to hit this week

Some areas in Tampa are having to show proof of residency to gain access to the sandbags, with a 10-bag limit per house. 

Tampa's Mayor, Jane Castor, said that they are 'preparing for the worst and hoping for the best' when it comes to preparing for the hurricane.

Authorities in Cuba suspended classes in the Pinar del Rio province on Sunday and said they will begin evacuations on Monday as Ian was forecast to strengthen before reaching the western part of the island on its way to Florida.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Grand Cayman and the Cuban provinces of Isla de Juventud, Pinar del Rio and Artemisa.

The US National Hurricane Centre said Ian should reach the far-western part of Cuba late on Monday or early on Tuesday, hitting near the country's tobacco fields.

At 5am on Monday, Ian was moving north west at 13mph, about 90 miles south west of Grand Cayman, and had maximum sustained winds of 75mph.

Director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie said 'everyone in Florida is going to feel the impacts of the storm.'

A major concern is how quickly the storm can intensify, stressed Jason Dunion, director of NOAA's hurricane research field program.

As Ian moves across Cuba on Tuesday, the winds are set to increase with evacutions in place, with levels reaching highs of 75mph

The hurricane is expect to hit the coast of the US at around 6am on Wednesday, with winds reaching over 110mph

At its peak on Wednesday, more than two inches of rain are set to batter Florida, with winds reaching up to 135pmh 

The US National Hurricane Centre said Ian should reach the far-western part of Cuba late on Monday or early on Tuesday, hitting near the country's tobacco fields

Ian is expected to cause more devastation that the 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane, which saw winds of 115 mph and a 10.5' Storm Surge in Tampa

He said: 'The storm can increase in speed 35 miles per hour in one day. You can go from a tropical storm to a Category 1, or Category 1 to a Category 3 in just that 24-hour period.

'That makes it especially important for folks to pay attention to this storm the next couple of days.'

DeSantis activated the National Guard on Sunday morning, saying though the path of the storm is still uncertain, the impacts will be broadly felt throughout the state.

State and federal disaster declarations were made over the weekend, with one model projecting Ian to make landfall in the Tampa Bay region while another model is projecting landfall into the Panhandle.

DeSantis said: 'We're going to keep monitoring the track of this storm. But it really is important to stress the degree of uncertainty that still exists.

He added: 'If you're not necessarily right in the eye of the path of the storm, there's going to be pretty broad impacts throughout the state'.

A tropical storm watch has been put in place over the lower Florida Keys on Sunday evening and has advised Floridians to have hurricane plans in place and monitor updates of the storm's evolving path.

A major concern is how quickly the storm can intensify, stressed Jason Dunion, director of NOAA's hurricane research field program

Residents in Canada, and across the Caribbean were left facing devastation after Hurricane Fiona earlier this month

TAMPA: Over the last seven days the number of drivers on the road spiked in the city ahead of Hurricane Ian this week

CAPE CORAL: Residents also appeared to be out and about in Cape Coral as they either fled the city or prepared for the monster storm 

MIAMI: Floridians in Miami were seen out and about ahead of the huge storm heading their way on Wednesday night or Thursday morning

ORLANDO: Further north in Orlando drivers also appeared to be taking to the roads ahead of the expected hurricane this week

US President Joe Biden also declared an emergency, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to co-ordinate disaster relief and provide assistance to protect lives and property.

The President postponed a scheduled September 27 trip to Florida because of the storm, with White House officials confirming they are 'closely monitoring' the situation. 

An official said that the president approved the emergency assistance request 'as soon as he received it'.

They added: 'He also directed his team to surge Federal assistance to the region well before landfall. FEMA has already deployed staff there and pre-positioned food, water, and generators.'

John Cangialosi, a senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based center, said in an interview on Sunday that it is not clear exactly where Ian will hit hardest in Florida.

Residents should begin preparations, including gathering supplies for potential power outages, he said.

Mr Cangialosi said: 'It's a hard thing to say stay tuned, but that's the right message right now.

'But for those in Florida, it's still time to prepare. I'm not telling you to put up your shutters yet or do anything like that, but it's still time to get your supplies.'