• Hurricane Ian continued to rapidly intensify through early Tuesday morning, strengthening into a major Category 3 hurricane as it approached Cuba
• As families evacuate ahead of the storm, they can store possessions free for 30 days at a participating U-Haul facility

U-Haul announced it is offering 30 days of free self-storage and U-Box container usage at 43 Florida facilities to residents who stand to be impacted by Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian strengthened into a Category 3 storm early Tuesday morning. It is expected to make landfall by midweek, and could bring significant storm surges and flooding to the west central coastal region of Florida. Hillsborough County and at least a half dozen other counties have begun issuing mandatory evacuations to go into effect on Tuesday.

“Roughly 100 miles of the Florida coast is currently under a hurricane watch, but experts are urging everyone in this region to have emergency plans in place,” said Mike Wise, U-Haul Company of Clearwater president.

U-Haul says the free month of self-storage services is available to customers renting new units and is subject to vacancy at each U-Haul facility. People seeking more information about the U-Haul disaster relief program or needing to arrange 30 days of free self-storage should contact the participating facility nearest them.

Bob Magyar, U-Haul Company of Tampa president, added: “As a member of so many Florida communities, U-Haul is in a unique position to help as this storm approaches and families plan to evacuate. We’re extending our disaster relief program to our neighbors throughout much of the state, with 30 days of free self-storage at participating locations.”

As of 5 a.m., Ian was 5 miles south of the city of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba, and 175 miles south-southwest of the Dry Tortugas. Ian had made landfall in Cuba overnight.

Forecasters warn that the storm will continue to gain intensity during the next couple of days and is expected to become a Category 4 behemoth when it reaches the Gulf of Mexico as early as Tuesday evening.