Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful ever recorded in the United States, inundated Southwest Florida on Wednesday, turning streets into rivers, leaving millions without power and causing catastrophic damage in its wake.
Its center made landfall near Cayo Costa, west of densely populated Fort Myers. The Category 4 meteor slammed into the coast with 150 mph (241 kph) winds and pushed up a wall of built-up storm surge during its slow march over the Gulf.
More than 1.8 million homes and businesses were left without power. About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate from Southwest Florida before Ian hit.
Newscasters at the Fort Myers television station WINK had to leave their regular studio and continue coverage of the hurricane from another location because water was entering their building near the Caloosahatchee River.
Although it is expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it moves inland at about 9 mph (14 kph), hurricane-force winds from Ian are likely to be felt across central Florida. Hours after landfall, maximum sustained winds had decreased to 105 mph (170 kph), making it a Category 2 hurricane.
Sheriff Bull Prummell of Charlotte County, north of Fort Myers, announced a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. “to save lives.” Violators can face second degree misdemeanor charges.
Authorities report receiving many calls from people trapped in flooded homes, despite being ordered to evacuate.
In Tampa, wind-driven water literally drained into the bay as the hurricane approached the Gulf Coast.
Several people posted photos on social media walking through the sand and silt, despite warnings from local officials to stay away. Tampa Bay has an average depth of about 12 feet (4 meters).
That phenomenon also occurred in 2017, when Hurricane Irma caused what experts call “negative swell.” Because hurricane-force winds blow counterclockwise, the winds at the northern edge of Ian’s circular system were blowing east-west with such force that they pushed bay water into the Gulf of Mexico.
The water finally returned to its place.
Associated Press/OnCuba.
