Live updates: Hurricane Ian and Brevard, how the storm will affect the Space Coast on Thursday
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Hurricane Ian's wrath moved into Brevard County overnight, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and widespread power outages.
Officials will be assessing the damager throughout the day.
FLORIDA TODAY's team of journalists will be out scouring the area and bringing you constant updates.
Here's a look at our photo gallery from Thursday:
If you have tips about flooded streets, downed trees blocking roads or other damage that your Brevard neighbors should know about, email Tim Walters at twalters@floridatoday.com so he can keep people updated.
We're in this together. Let's keep each other informed.
Updated list:Most Space Coast restaurants closed for Hurricane Ian; these are still open
Refresh your browser for the latest updates to show.
6:15 p.m.: Waste Management resuming trash pickups
Waste Management Inc, will resume collection Friday for residential service customers for carted garbage, carted recycling and containerized yard waste.
Collections were disrupted Wednesday and Thursday because of Hurricane Ian.
Wednesday garbage customers who were unable to be serviced on Wednesday will be serviced on Saturday.
Wednesday recycling and containerized yard waste customers who were unable to be serviced this past Wednesday will be serviced on Oct. 5.
More details here:
5:32 p.m.: Palm Bay traffic signals still down
Palm Bay announced that several traffic signals are still down at this time.
From the city's website: "Due to Hurricane Ian, there are several non-operational traffic signals throughout the city. In coordination with the Public Works Department, the Palm Bay Police Department is currently manning the following intersections until signal operations are restored. Residents are encouraged to remain sheltered until the City issues the ‘all clear’. However, if you must leave, drivers should find alternate routes, if possible, and drive with caution in these areas. Please remember to treat intersections as a four-way stop or listen to the police offers that may be directing traffic at certain intersections. Avoid and report any areas not listed below if you encounter a non-operating signal, downed power line, or flooded streets by calling (321) 952-3539.
Intersections with traffic signals in flash mode:
- Malabar and Emerson Rds.
- Emerson and Jupiter Blvd SE
- Malabar and Eldron
- Malabar and Fire Station #2
- Babcock at Blaine, Fallon, Charles, Fountain, Waco and Wyoming (Brevard County has been notified)
- Jupiter Blvd. and Degroodt
- Jupiter Blvd. and Minton Road
- Port Malabar Blvd. and Clearmont St.
- Port Malabar BLvd. and Babcock St.
Intersection with no operation traffic signals:
- Emerson and Pepper
5:30 p.m.: Shelters close Friday
Brevard County's three storm shelters will be closing Friday morning, according to Brevard County Communications Director Don Walker.
The shelters in Melbourne, Sharpes and West Melbourne opened Wednesday.
Walker said there were a total of 218 people and 29 pets staying at the shelters during the peak of the storm. As of Thursday afternoon, those numbers dropped to 175 people and 11 pets.
5 p.m.: Boast stuck under Cocoa Beach bridge
Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik says a boat was sunk and is stuck under the relief bridge on the Cocoa Beach end of the State Road 520 causeway. The boat is “causing issues” with a sewer line, Malik said.
Malik says the boat collided with a sewer line, and city officials have shut that line off. It is unclear if any sewage spilled into the river. Cocoa water officials are sending a crew over to check on the water main, which is adjacent to the sewer pipe.
UPDATE, 5:10: Malik said while there was some damage to the sewer lines there was no leak and crews were able to repair to line in about 15 minutes.
4:35 p.m.: KSC employee update
"Mission essential personnel are on center to assess readiness for employees to return to work. The worker population is limited on center until several wastewater stations fully recover from a surge of storm water caused by Hurricane Ian." — Jamie Groh
4:15 p.m.: Port Canaveral update
Port Canaveral remains in Condition "Zulu." Port Canaveral is closed and has ceased all waterside and vessel shoreside port operations until further notice.
From the Port Canaveral website: "Currently, we are working to conduct damage assessments of the port’s facilities, roadways, waterways and channels, beginning as early as this afternoon. Additionally, we have been in contact with all of our cruise partners to coordinate their plans for cancelled or revised sailings that were scheduled for the remainder of this week and over the coming weekend. We are also working with our cargo and fuel terminal operators to ensure a timely and safe return to their operations."
"Canaveral Lock is secured from operations (closed) for Hurricane Ian. The Lock will remain closed through at least Thursday and will re-open possibly Friday or Saturday only after stand-up and inspection of all lock equipment and property and after Captain of the Port re-opens Port Canaveral and the surrounding waterways." — Jamie Groh
"Even with some street and yard flooding, fallen trees and power lines, and scattered residential building damage, "all in all, we're doing pretty well."
Read more about how fortunate Brevard County got with Ian.
3:35 p.m.: Roads opening
State road 520 has re-opened, according to a tweet by the city. Florida Department of Transportation assessed the road and determined it safe for drivers, though city officials advise drivers to continue traveling with caution. There is still road debris on roadways.
— Finch Walker
Also, Eau Gallie Causeway is now open in both directions. — Rick Neale
3:30 p.m.: KSC Visitor Center news
Kennedy Space Center's visitor center will re-open Saturday with all attractions operating during regular business hours, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The Future Voyagers offer will run through Oct. 9, and Taste of Space will begin Monday.
3:15 p.m.: Brevard cities plan return to normal operations
Brevard County public safety director Matt Wallace said Brevard County government offices will reopen at 8 a.m. Friday, and Brevard's landfill operations will resume around noon Friday. He said Space Coast Area Transit bus service will resume Friday as well.
— Dave Berman
Palm Bay's city hall and facilities will re-open to the public for regular business on Monday. — Chasite Banks
3:12 p.m.: Satellite Beach road closure
South Patrick Drive has been shut down near the Satellite Beach fire station because of flooding according to city manager Courtney Barker as of 2:45 p.m. — Rick Neale
2:50 p.m.: Eastbound Eau Gallie now open
The City of Melbourne has just informed us Eastbound Eau Gallie Blvd. is now open. Westbound remains closed.
2:47 p.m.: Meals on Wheels update
Meals on Wheels, administered by Aging Matters in Brevard, will deliver both a hot and a cold meal to 800 clients Friday.
All Seniors at Lunch congregant meal sites will be closed Friday, but will reopen Monday. In addition, Aging Matters’ office and the Brevard Community Kitchen in Cocoa will be open Friday.
Home services will resume as usual unless there are issues with flooding or other road problems, said Tom Kammerdener, Aging Matters’ acting president and CEO.
— Britt Kennerly
2:42 p.m.: Eau Gallie Causeway is closed
Eau Gallie Causeway is currently closed in both directions due to flooding on the roadway.
There is no timetable for its reopening.
Also of note from the City of Melbourne:
Melbourne City Hall and all City of Melbourne facilities will re-open to the public for regular business Friday, Sept. 30.
The city’s local state of emergency will be lifted at 7 p.m. tonight.
2:31 p.m.: Satellite Blvd. off 520 in West Brevard closed
Satellite Boulevard from SR 520 to Cherven Avenue in Canaveral Groves is closed due to flooding and road washout.
It is unclear when the road can be reopened.
If you have any questions, please contact Brevard County Public Works/Road & Bridge at 321-617-7202
2:30 p.m.: 520 westbound closed near CCH
FLORIDA TODAY photographer Malcolm Denemark reports two parts of the westbound lane of 520 are blocked off by police cars where the river is coming into the road.
Both closings are generally in the stretch between Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach near Cape Canaveral Hospital.
Because of conditions and closures, he says he hasn't been able to stop for a photo.
Officials are discussing whether they should close the eastbound lanes, according to breaking news reporter Finch Walker.
2:17 p.m.: Another 4 hours at least of tropical storm force winds
2 p.m. National Weather Service, Melbourne Statement:
For Northern Brevard, Mainland Northern Brevard, Northern Brevard Barrier Islands, Inland Southern Brevard-Mainland Southern Brevard, Southern Brevard Barrier Islands:
“A Special Weather Statement has been issued for Brevard and Volusia Counties. As Ian pulls away from east central Florida over the local coastal waters, strengthening of this storm is anticipated.
Portions of Volusia and Brevard counties, especially closer toward the coast, can expect strong tropical wind gusts through the remainder of the afternoon.
Many locations will see wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph, but there may be occasional gusts of 65 to 70 mph and possibly just a little higher.
Winds will slowly begin to diminish this evening as the storm pulls away further from the area. Do not let your guard down!”
Active until 6 p.m.
2:14 p.m.: Good news from the bad
Once Ian goes away, we'll have several days of completely dry weather. And guess what... It's going to cool down.
To see how much, read Finch Walker's story below:
Seasons changing:Cooler weather expected in Brevard in Hurricane Ian's wake
2:10 p.m. 'It sounded like a plane crash'
Reports of damage are slowly coming in from throughout Brevard County as the backend of the storm continues to pummel the area.
Here's one family's scary story, by Rick Neale:
Scary encounter:Ian rips metal roof off house in beachside Melbourne
2:05 p.m.: Back side of the storm hitting
The 2 p.m. locator shows Ian off the coast of Brevard County, but the back end of the storm is now lashing the Space Coast.
Ian's eye is back over Atlantic waters and is expected to grow into a hurricane once again.
2 p.m.: Flooding in Mims
Hammock Road from Grantline Road to Carter Road in Mims is closed due to flooding and large holes forming in the road.
Brevard County Road & Bridge is dispatching equipment and materials to repair the road.
They anticipate a minimum of two days before reopening the road to traffic.
If you have any questions, please contact Brevard County Public Works/Road & Bridge at 321-617-7202
1:52 p.m.: Newfound Harbor flooded
Newfound Harbor on Merritt Island also is under water Sound of Angel Avenue.
Use extreme caution when driving in the area.
1:30 p.m.: Mullet Drive under water
A reader reached out asking about Merritt Island Village on Mullet Avenue not far from Hobbs Pharmacy on Merritt Island where a friend had to be avacuated.
The road is under water, so if you're in the area, beware. The road is blocked so vehicles don't drive through it. Here's what it looks like:
12:55 p.m.: Melbourne traffic signal update
As of 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Melbourne city workers were still laboring to fix five malfunctioning traffic signals, city spokesperson Cheryl Mall said:
- NASA Boulevard and Evans Road: Crews are working at this intersection, and Melbourne police are directing traffic.
- Babcock Street and U.S. 1: Crews have inspected the signal, which will work after Florida Power & Light restores power. Melbourne police are directing traffic.
- Apollo Boulevard signals at St. Michael Place and the D.B. Lee Water Reclamation Plant: Both remain out.
- Wickham Road and Kensington Drive: Signal remains on flash.
— Rick Neale
12:24 p.m.: Surf needs to recede before assessing erosion damage
As expected, Hurricane Ian mostly spared most Space Coast beaches but it may be too soon to tell along the county's thinner southernmost reaches. Official erosion assessments await the surf receding. Same goes for Indian River Lagoon, which officials had anticipated may suffer more significant erosion than the beach.
But county officials won't know until the surf recedes how much damage Ian inflicted.
— Jim Waymer
12:19 p.m.: Palm Bay assessing traffic lights
Palm Bay city staff are still currently out conducting assessments of the city. Updates will be posted to the city's Facebook page.
As of 11:30 a.m. on September 29, the following traffic signals are out within the City of Palm Bay. City crews are still out doing assessments and working to bring these back up as soon as possible. Drivers please find alternate routes if possible and drive with caution in these areas.
Signals Out:
- Emerson and Pepper
Signals on Flash:
- Malabar and Emerson
- Emerson and Jupiter SE
- Malabar and Eldron
- Malabar and Fire Station 2
— Chasite Banks
12:03 p.m.: No major damage reported in Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral Mayor Wes Morrison said early assessments didn’t find any major damage, though there were some localized flooding, power outages and downed trees. Portable generators are powering some sewage lift station. Morrison said the city distributed almost 1,000 sandbags before the storm and used a pump to clear water from areas with a history of flooding. He said the Banana Rive remained high and was splashing over the seawall on the city’s west side. “Overall, we did good,” Morrison said. “But a heavy rain would probably cause problems because our stormwater system is working hard.”
— John McCarthy
12:00 p.m.: Brevard Public Schools —no damage reported
BPS says no damage has been reported, though staff hasn't visited every school yet due to road conditions.
— Bobby Block
11:30 a.m.: Flooding in Titusville
Titusville is experiencing flooding in some areas of the city. Amy Matthews, a spokesperson for the police department, warned residents against driving unless absolutely necessary.
“If you absolutely must drive around, slow down so the wakes don’t go into your neighbors’ homes and cause more damage,” Matthews said.
Flooding is occurring in areas including the Sun Valley subdivision, the entrance to the Highlands neighborhood off Cheney Highway, La Cita Country Club, Raney Road and Oakhill Drive. There was also a traffic light out at South Street and Washington Avenue.
— Finch Walker
11:28 a.m.: KSC video tour shows minimal impact to the space center
Florida Today space reporter, Emre Kelly, provides a video tour of facilities around Kennedy Space Center as Tropical Storm Ian makes its way off the coast and the danger to the Space Coast recedes.
— Emre Kelly
11:23 a.m.: N.H.C 11a.m. advisory — Tropical Storm Ian now off the coast
At 11 a.m. EDT Tropical Storm Ian is moving toward the north-northeast near 9 mph (15 km/h). A turn toward the north is expected late today, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest with an increase in forward speed Friday night.
On the forecast track, Ian will approach the coast of South Carolina on Friday. The center will move farther inland across the Carolinas Friday night and Saturday. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 70 mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts. Ian is expected to become a hurricane again this evening and make landfall as a hurricane on Friday, with rapid weakening forecast after landfall.
- A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Jupiter Inlet, Florida to Duck, North Carolina
11:15 a.m.: Causeways remain open
Brevard County's seven causeways remain open and will not be closed at any point due to Hurricane Ian, county spokesman Don Walker said.
Contrary to popular belief, the causeways do not close at any point before or during a major storm, but may sometimes be closed after a storm to assess potential damage. But no damage was expected based on the rated windspeeds across the county, which were not high enough to cause concern, Walker said.
"We don't even need to inspect them," Walker said. "The wind speeds didn't get high enough."
— Eric Rogers
11:02 a.m.: Be careful on the roads in Cocoa
Cocoa Police reported multiple hazards along roadways Thursday morning, including a downed powerline at the Dixon Boulevard and railroad crossing, trees down and blocking the roads at MacFarland Drive and North Indian River Drive and 1630 Ridge Drive. They also warned of a traffic light out at Clearlake Road and Dixon Boulevard, flooding at 1021 North Indian River Drive and flooding and debris along North Cocoa Boulevard.
— Finch Walker
11:00 a.m.: Brevard County Update expected at 1:30 p.m. today
At 1:30 p.m. today, Brevard County emergency management officials will give a live update on Hurricane Ian's aftermath to the Space Coast and what residents need to be aware of as the storm dissipates. You can watch the broadcast on our floridatoday.com website here — Or on the Brevard County Emergency Management YouTube channel.
— Rob Landers
10:57 a.m.: Minimal damage reported in Indian Harbour Beach
In a Facebook post, Indian Harbour Beach officials reported minimal overnight damages from Ian’s winds and rains.
“As of 9 a.m., damage to the City of Indian Harbour Beach appears to be minimal, with a few downed power lines, some flooded areas, and tree debris scattered around,” the post said. “The Indian Harbour Beach Police Department has been out since 5 a.m. inspecting every street within Indian Harbour Beach to assess damage, notify FPL of any downed power lines, and document any issues observed.”
City Hall officials ask anyone who sees safety hazards or needs assistance within Indian Harbour Beach to call 321-773-3030.
— Rick Neale
10:52 a.m.: Stay alert for hazards if you hit the roads
Florida Highway Patrol troopers continue to survey Interstate 95 and other connecting roadways in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian’s passage through Brevard.
Troopers, who sheltered-in-place as the storm passed over Central Florida, worked to clear debris from County Road 5A’s on ramp to Interstate 95 in northern Brevard.
The law enforcement agency is asking motorists to be mindful of potential road hazards.
— J.D. Gallop
10:46 a.m.: Cocoa Beach traffic lights out, sewer system at capacity
Traffic lights in Cocoa Beach are out at North Atlantic Avenue at multiple intersections, including St. Lucie Lane, Royal Way and Holiday Lane. Additionally, lights are out on Minutemen Causeway at North Brevard Avenue, Orlando Avenue and Atlantic Avenue.
Residents from Bayshore Drive to Snug Harbor Estates in Cocoa Beach were advised not to flush their toilets or use water at 9:51 a.m. Thursday due to the sewer system being at maximum capacity.
— Finch Walker
10:25 a.m.: Palm Bay conducts city assessment after storm
City staff in Palm Bay are currently conducting a check of the city and ask all residents to stay off the roadways and shelter in place while they conduct the assessment.
— Chasite Banks
10:23 a.m.: Space Force facilities closed but minimal damage
As the remnants of Ian linger over portions of the Space Coast, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Patrick Space Force Base, and Kennedy Space Center appear to have fared well through the storm. All are still in HURCON I status, which is the highest storm readiness level.
The gate to the Cape is still closed, but the main gate into Patrick remains open. At KSC, all gates remain closed.
"Space Launch Delta 45 is currently in HURCON 1C status, meaning recovery and response teams have not yet been dispatched to perform assessments at either installation (Patrick Space Force Base and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station),” SLD 45 said in a statement. “Preliminary reports sound like there is minimal damage and impact from the storm. Once we reach HURCON 1R status, and it is safe to do so, our teams will perform assessments and we will have a report out as quickly as possible.”
— Emre Kelly
10:19 a.m.: BCSO to send assistance to Lee County
The Brevard County Sheriff's Office is sending a team to assist in Lee County on Florida's west coast, where Hurricane Ian roared ashore as a strong Category 4 storm Wednesday, causing catastrophic damage and flooding, according to Don Walker, director of communications for Brevard.
Walker said the county has also received a request from nearby Osceola County to help with its emergency management operations, "but we'll wait until we are on the other side of the storm ourselves to make a decision on that," he said.
— Eric Rogers
10:10 a.m.:County asks residents to limit water usage
Brevard County officials are asking residents to reduce water usage, as rains continue from Hurricane Ian. Brevard County Utilities said residents are asked to reduce water usage, especially flushing toilets, doing laundry and taking long showers.
Limiting water usage will help reduce the chances of backups into residents' homes, and into the streets and rivers.
— Dave Berman
9:55 a.m.: Power issues being worked
Florida Power and Light crews are working to restore power to Brevard County residents in the wake of Hurricane Ian.
About 58,000 customers are currently without power, down from about 70,000 at 7 a.m. Thursday, according to the aggregated outage tracking website poweroutage.us.
— Eric Rogers
9:53 a.m.: Cocoa resident shares his experiences
Mark Fink found his storm experience to be pretty mild, he said as he walked his dog along Indian River Drive near heavy flooding south of Blacks Road.
He said he would never have bought a home along the low lying parts of the roadway and chose his home specifically for the high ground.
“We anticipated it pretty well. My whole back yard’s a big lake now, you could canoe in it,” he said.
— Tyler Vazquez
9:24 a.m.: Cocoa Beach working issues
Cocoa Beach tweeted at 9:16 a.m. that their public safety crews had found eight power lines and one cable line down, six traffic lights out and one building with possible structural damage.
They did not immediately specify the locations of these hazards.
— Finch Walker
9:18 a.m.: More updates from Cocoa
Water seemed to spill right over the edge of the lagoon and onto the roads and front yards of houses along Indian River Drive on Thursday in the areas where the curvy water side drive dips down as if to invite flooding.
A stop sign was set up on Dixon Boulevard to prevent motorists from driving into the heavily flooded roadway as utility workers surveyed the situation nearby.
Traffic backed up on Indian River drive farther north past State Road 528 where heavy flooding mostly submerged mailboxes and the lagoons waters splashed against the coquina.
— Tyler Vazquez
9:10 a.m.: Indialantic damage report; lots of power out
As of 9 a.m., Indialantic Mayor Dave Berkman estimated about 95% of his town was still without electricity after Ian’s overnight gusts.
“We had multiple power lines down in town, several across A1A,” he said.
No injuries were reported in Indialantic, and no serious structural damages were reported, Berkman said.
Rising floodwater approached a few homes north of Fifth Avenue near the Indian River Lagoon, he said. But no homes were flooded, to his knowledge.
“Basically, we dodged a bullet. We’ve got lots of palm fronds down, a few trees. But overall, we came out very well,” Berkman said.
— Rick Neale
9:08 a.m.: Updates still paint 'incomplete picture'
Brevard County Emergency Management Director John Scott said early reports of little major flooding or damage from Hurricane Ian were promising, but an "incomplete picture."
"My expectation is that will tick up as the sun comes up," Scott said during a Thursday morning briefing to county emergency operations teams. "We won't get a good idea of where we are until about noon."
"There is still some of Ian to go," he said.
— Eric Rogers
9:06 a.m. Cocoa Beach residents warned against flushing
Coco Beach said in a tweet at about 8:40 a.m. Thursday that the sewer system from Kent Drive to State Road 520 was at max capacity, warning residents not to flush their toilets or use water.
About an hour and a half earlier, the city tweeted that city staff was performing “post storm assessments” of the streets and asked residents to shelter in place, advising them not to walk or drive through standing water.
More info is upcoming from the city.
— Finch Walker
9:04 a.m.: Lights out in Melbourne
As of 7 a.m. Friday, 10 traffic signals across the city of Melbourne remained disabled or on “flash mode” from Ian’s winds, said Cheryl Mall, city spokesperson.
“Overnight, there were a few reports of downed trees and traffic signals out. Our police have gone out and looked at all the traffic intersections,” Mall said.
Traffic signals that are not working:
- Apollo Boulevard and the D.B. Lee Water Reclamation Plant entrance road.
- Apollo Boulevard and St. Michael Place.
- NASA Boulevard and Evans Road.
- U.S. 1 and Masterson Street.
- U.S. 1 and Ballard Drive.
When a traffic signal isn't working, treat it as a four-way stop.
Traffic signals on flash mode:
- U.S. 1 and Eau Gallie Boulevard.
- Eau Gallie Boulevard and Pineapple Avenue.
- Eau Gallie Boulevard and Highland Avenue.
- New Haven Avenue and Country Club Drive.
- Wickham Road and Kensington Drive.
“Our crews are going to go out and start a damage assessment of the roads and stormwater-conveyance systems,” Mall said.
“And also, traffic engineering will go out and go deal with all those traffic signals,” she said.
— Rick Neale
9:02 a.m.: 520 at 528 underwater
State Road 520 is underwater at the S.R. 528 interchange, according to county officials.
Up to 3 feet of water were reported on the roadway on S.R. 520 at the onramps to S.R. 528, county spokesman Don Walker said. Traffic on S.R. 528 itself was not impeded in either direction, he said.
Officials are warning people to avoid the intersection and find alternate routes to the Beachline.
"If you're traveling west on 520, you could find yourself in some deep water," Walker said.
— Eric Rogers
8:32 a.m.: Early reports show Cocoa Beach spared
Cocoa Beach officials are still compiling a damage report, but the city seemed to avoid serious damage Mayor Ben Malik said.
He did say there were some downed power lines and isolated flooding in the area.
City officials were asking drivers to stay off the roads while first responders conduct their damage assessment. “We got lucky!” Malik wrote in a text message to FLORIDA TODAY.
— John McCarthy
8:30 a.m.: More damage from around the county
Hurricane Ian caused scattered damage throughout Brevard County, according to reports being compiled by county officials.
Among the initial reports were the following, according to Brevard County Communications Director Don Walker:
• Structure damage: A house lost a roof in Barefoot Bay and a carport was damaged by a falling tree in Cocoa.
• Power lines down: Reported in Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Satellite Beach and Viera.
• Road flooding: On U.S. 1 in Mims, side streets in Satellite Beach, and near the on and off ramps from State Road 528 to State Road 520.
• Tree fires caused by power lines: In Grant-Valkaria and Indian Harbour Beach.
— Dave Berman
8:28 a.m.: Blockages in Cocoa
In Cocoa, there are downed power lines at the railroad crossing at Dixon Blvd. near U.S. 1 on the southwest side of the tracks. The road is not passable and officers are blocking the road.
Other updates include:
• Traffic lights out at Clearlake and Dixon.
• McFarland/N. Indian River Dr.: Tree down blocking roadway
• N. Cocoa Blvd.: Standing water in areas along with debris in roadway (tree branches/palm fronts etc.)
For more updates, check out their Facebook page.
— Finch Walker
8:13 a.m.: Eye on Brevard
Does it seem calm right now? It could be because Ian's eye was centered right over Brevard at 8 a.m., as evidenced by this latest graphic:
Don't let your guard down. Strong winds and rain are still possible. Stay off the roads if you don't need to be out and about. Flooding, blocked roads and other assessments are still being done.
Keep in mind, tropical storm force winds are still possible, as evidenced by this latest graphic.
8:06 a.m.: Downtown Melbourne makes it through OK
At daybreak Thursday, no apparent structural damages from Ian’s winds were visible during a cursory drive through downtown Melbourne. And street lamps remained lit along the New Haven Avenue commercial corridor.
Browned palm fronds and tree branch debris littered downtown streets, and a couple of sidewalk planters tipped over outside The Sun Shoppe & Café.
Melbourne Avenue — a historically flood-prone street — was practically free of standing water in its low-lying spots by 7:30 a.m., even along the Promenade Park manatee-viewing area fronting Crane Creek.
— Rick Neale
7:55 a.m.: If you need to get to the Turnpike, know this
Florida Highway Patrol has closed the Florida Turnpike in both directions from mile markers 254 through 267 due to significant flooding.
The northbound lanes are closed from mile marker 254 and the southbound lanes are closed from mile marker 267.
This area of the Turnpike in Orange County will remain closed until the storm passes and the flooding subsides.
Should motorists need to travel Thursday and Friday they should confirm the availability of their route by checking Florida Highway Patrol Current Traffic Incidents (flhsmv.gov) or FL511| Florida Traffic | Commuter Information.
— FHP
7:46 a.m.: Images of damage
FLORIDA TODAY's experienced photography team of Malcom Denemark, Tim Shortt and Craig Bailey will be bringing you amazing pictures throughout the day.
Denemark (Denny as he's known) just delivered this photo from Sunset Cafe, along the banks of the Banana River along 520 in Cocoa Beach.
Stay tuned and we'll have a photo gallery posted soon.
7:18 a.m.: Ian downgraded
Hurricane Ian is now Tropical Storm Ian. For more on where the hurricane is, check out our story below by Eric Rogers and Ralph Chapoco.
No longer a hurricane:Hurricane Ian now a tropical storm as it moves through Brevard County
5:05 a.m.: Ian's eye working its way over Brevard
With the latest National Hurricane data released, the eye looks to be just working its way across central Brevard as it prepares to move out to sea.
Strong winds continue to whip outdoors. Stay inside and don't go out on the roads until local officials deem it safe.
Flooding, debris, downed power lines and other debris will be present.
— Tim Walters
2:28 a.m.: Torrential rains are wreaking havoc
Hurricane Ian — a powerful storm that defied early efforts at exact tracking and whipped through the state toward northern Brevard — dumped several inches of rain and brought howling, tropical storm winds on its passage to the east coast.
There also remains a potential threat for tornado as the storm barrels through Osceola County and emerges into the Atlantic Ocean from north Brevard and Volusia counties.
Flash flood warnings remained in effect throughout parts of Brevard — including Titusville, Merritt Island and Rockledge until 4 a.m.
The National Weather Service in Melbourne reported 6 to 9 inches of rain fell overnight across the Space Coast.
Another 4 to 6 inches could later Thursday morning as Ian continues its March toward the Atlantic Ocean.
— JD Gallop
2 a.m.: Strong storms leave massive power outages
Florida Power and Light reported that 52,000 Brevard customers, including residential and business locations, were without power about 2 a.m. as Hurricane Ian moved across Central Florida.
Power outages across the state left more than 2.2 million customers without service across central and south Florida, according to Poweroutage.US and tracking the impact of the storm.
— JD Gallop
What happened Wednesday?
To see all the updates from Wednesday, visit the link below:
Wednesday's news:Hurricane Ian and Brevard, how the storm will affect the Space Coast on Wednesday