A man runs by a boarded up storefront, as Hurricane Ian spins toward the state carrying high winds, torrential rains and a powerful storm surge, in the downtown area of Tampa, Florida, U.S., September 27, 2022.
The latest 8 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT) hurricane advisory put Ian's top winds at 120 mph (195 km per hour).
Ian was most likely to come ashore south of Tampa near Sarasota, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Parts of central Florida could see as much of 2 feet (0.6 meter) of rain from Ian, according to the National Weather Service.
If Ian strikes Tampa, it would be the first hurricane to make landfall in the area since the Tarpon Springs storm in 1921.