Sep. 27—While pushing a grocery cart full of cases of water and food to his vehicle at Kroger in Aiken on Tuesday, local resident William Hal Clinton said he isn't worried about the approaching storm and hopes it won't be that bad.

"As long as I don't lose my satellite connection," Clinton said as he was pushing his shopping cart back to the cart rack.

Clinton is one of many residents who spent Tuesday at various grocery stores either doing daily shopping or getting items before Hurricane Ian approaches the Aiken area.

Hurricane Ian made landfall in Cuba early Tuesday and left 1 million people without power; it is expected to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Florida sometime Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

Publix and Kroger stores in Aiken had parking lots full of shoppers on Tuesday, while employees inside both stores were busy stocking items on the shelves. The most common item shoppers had in their carts were cases of bottled water.

Local shopper Gary Clothier said he expects flooding locally with all of the rain; however, he is worried about his niece who lives in Tampa.

As Mildred Cullum was putting groceries into her car, she said she would say a prayer for those who are in the path of the storm.

"I am praying that everyone will be safe during the storm," she said.

David Zaleskeo said he was at the store doing his typical shopping Tuesday, and he was going to wait and see what was going to happen with the storm.

"They don't actually know where the storm is going to hit anyway, but we will get wind and rain," he said.

Katy Counts also was shopping at Kroger and said things in Aiken should be OK because the storm is not expected to arrive in the area until the weekend. Tuesday is her typical grocery day, so she was good with food.

"We usually have enough stuff at home, and we're not worried, and we have enough water," she said.

As the storm approaches the southwest coast of Florida, Ian is expected to get stronger with winds toping 130 mph, according to the AP.

So far, 2.5 million people in the coastal Florida area have been ordered to evacuate, the AP reported.

Visual guide to powerful Hurricane Ian, which has caused devastation in Cuba and Florida

Joe Raedle/GettyRescue crews going house to house in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian have encountered harrowing scenes, including scores of stranded people and at least one house that was completely submerged with human remains inside.Kevin Guthrie, Florida’s emergency management director, said during a Friday morning press briefing that authorities are reviewing 21 fatalities to see if they’re related to the catastrophic hurricane. The death toll is expected to rise as many parts of Lee Co

"I’ve been speaking with people this morning who told me they’re just trying to find a way to get out."View Entire Post ›

Fort Myers, Florida was one of the hardest-hit areas in Hurricane Ian's path. FORT MYERS, Florida — Susan Johnson, 68, rode out Hurricane Ian with her husband and some neighbors at the clubhouse in her mobile home community. On Wednesday, Ian tore through Florida's west coast and slammed the state with catastrophic winds and storm surges.

Streaming with multiple cameras, Severe Studios, a camera at Fort Myers Beach went viral amid flooding from Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian sent 150 mph winds and a towering storm surge tearing through the town of Fort Myers Beach in Florida.

A chunk of the causeway connecting Sanibel Island to Florida's mainland had fallen into the sea Wednesday, cutting off access to the barrier island.

Winds of 92 mph were recorded as the storm made landfall in South Carolina.

“Wind gusts of 40-60mph and an additional half inch to inch of rainfall are possible, with isolated higher amounts over the (northwest) part of our area,” a National Weather Service meteorologist said.

Astounding footage is coming out of Florida, which is recovering after being rocked by one of the powerful storms ever recorded in America. Hurricane Ian swept through the state earlier this week, flooding streets, toppling homes and leaving nearly 2 million people without power.

Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back when asked by a reporter whether the state could’ve better-handled Hurricane Ian storm preparation.

A 72-year-old man who attempted to drain his pool in the middle of Hurricane Ian has died, along with a 38-year-old man who hydroplaned during the storm

The destruction was likened to a large tornado having barreled through, with homes and buildings "completely gone.”

A monster-sized Hurricane Ian pummeled Florida on Wednesday with crushing storm surge, obliterating wind speeds and torrential rainfall.

“Click here to read this story in Spanish.” FORT MYERS BEACH — They thought second floors would be safe. But Hurricane Ian was more brutal than some residents of Fort Myers Beach ever imagined. Kevin Behen left his studio apartment and hunkered down in a corner room in a stout building by the foot of the bridge into town. The surge licked the second-floor deck. He sprinted upstairs and banged ...

Hurricane Ian left cities across Florida underwater, remnants of buildings scattered and millions without power.

As Ian continued its destructive trek across Florida, over a million households across the state awoke on Thursday without electricity as residents and emergency crews along the Gulf Coast began to assess the toppled buildings, flooded streets and crippled infrastructure.

Winds could be gusty Friday, even hitting tropical storm levels greater than 30 mph. But water accumulation is the biggest concern.

Some Floridians were trapped at home during the hurricane because they didn't have the money to evacuate.

"My ballroom is completely flooded right now," Jackie Siegel says in footage provided to PEOPLE showing the damage to the still-under-construction home