HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Ian lashed western Cuba on Tuesday with heavy rains and strong wings.

Officials set up 55 shelters and evacuated 50,000 people.

Ian made landfall in Cuba’s Pinar del Rio province, where officials rushed in emergency personnel and took steps to protect crops in Cuba’s main tobacco-growing region.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said “significant wind and storm surge impacts” sustained top winds were 125 mph and as much as 14 feet of storm surge was predicted along Cuba's coast.

Ian was forecast to strengthen even more over warm Gulf of Mexico waters, reaching top winds of 140 mph before making landfall again. Tropical storm-force winds were expected in Florida late Tuesday, reaching hurricane force Wednesday morning.

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