Ernest Hemingway's granddaughter has revealed her family is worried that the US author's home in Key West, Florida, will be destroyed by Hurricane Ian as the Category 4 storm barrels towards the US state's coast.
The 180-year-old house was given to Hemingway as a wedding gift from the uncle of his second wife, Pauline. Hemingway lived there from 1931 to 1939.
Mariel Hemingway told the Daily Mail that she feared for the property's well-being. The author of The Sun Also Rises cared deeply about his homes, she told the news outlet.
She said the pain would be “palpable” if it were destroyed.
Hurricane Ian had top winds of up to 250kph on Wednesday, marginally short of the strength of a Category 5 hurricane.
Residents on Florida's west coat were advised to seek shelter on higher ground. Homeowners were seen boarding their windows to protect their properties from the storm's destructive winds.
The Key West estate was one of three homes owned by the author. He also owned properties in Havana, Cuba, and Ketchum, Idaho.
Hemingway's property in Florida, which now operates as a museum, is home to about 60 six-toed cats.
“We are keeping a close eye on Storm Ian. We are taking all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of our staff and cat residents,” a representative for The Hemingway Home and Museum said.
Hemingway's home in Cuba was spared by the storm, his granddaughter said.
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