Severe Weather

Though downgraded from a hurricane, Tropical Storm Ian remained a threat Thursday to Central Florida and Northeast Florida, state officials said, after the massive storm brought destruction to the southwestern part of the state.

Knowing the differences in these flood-related terms could save your life.

Live updates on Hurricane Ian's track, the latest models and spaghetti models, school closures, sandbag locations, and evacuation orders below.

An ambulance got trapped in extremely flooded streets in the SoDo District of Orlando early Thursday morning as Hurricane Ian lashed the area with downpours and high wind gusts. The system downgraded to a tropical storm on Thursday morning.

WATCH: See the impact Hurricane Ian is having across Florida and the damage it's leaving behind.

Though Hurricane Ian has downgraded and is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it makes its way northeast through Florida, the storm will still bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the Central Florida area through at least Thursday. Several local counties remain under various hurricane and tropical storm warnings with rainfall potential as high as 24 inches in some counties.

The Florida Disaster Fund has been activated for those looking to help communities impacted by Hurricane Ian, First Lady Casey DeSantis announced Wednesday.

As Hurricane Ian nears Central Florida, the FOX 35 Storm Team continues to track when the local area could see potential impacts.

Hurricane Ian is now a powerful Category 3 hurricane as the system makes its way toward Florida.

At the time, Charley was also one of the strongest hurricanes ever to strike the United States, making landfall in Southwest Florida as a major Category 4 hurricane.

Residents are being urged to have their final preparations in place on Tuesday as Hurricane Ian threatens to make impact on Florida this week as a major hurricane. 

Florida is bracing for what could be a powerful Category 4 Hurricane Ian at landfall on Wednesday before the storm tracks northeast toward the Orlando metropolitan area.

Officials of schools, colleges and universities in Florida and the Orlando metro area are beginning to announce their plans for the week ahead of Hurricane Ian's potential impacts on the state. 

Hurricane Ian strengthened into a Category 3 storm on Tuesday. Much of Florida, including the Panhandle, Central Florida, and the greater Orlando metropolitan area, remains in the cone of uncertainty. As of late Monday, the forecast track had shifted to the east slightly.