Hurricane Ian made landfall along the southwest Florida coast at 3:05 pm on Wednesday September 28. The record-breaking storm smashed into Florida as a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds. Governor Ron DeSantis stated, “We’ve never seen a flood event like this, we’ve never seen a storm surge of this magnitude.”
The National Hurricane Center considers storm surge, which is the rising of water caused by the storm, to be the most dangerous aspect of a hurricane. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Hurricane Ian caused a surge of up to 18 feet in some regions of Florida, which is unprecedented for the area.
According to Yale Climate Connections, Hurricane Ian is tied “as the fifth-strongest hurricane on record to make a contiguous U.S. landfall.” They also said to prepare for immense damage, as Ian is expected to be one of the most damaging hurricanes of all time.
Hurricane Ian originated as a tropical wave, found by the NHC on September 19. The storm eventually strengthened into a tropical storm, and later a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Cuba. As it moved toward the United States, it grew to and made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Florida residents also began posting videos of tornadoes caused by the storm in the hours before it hit. As of the morning of September 29, Hurricane Ian has been demoted to a tropical storm, though it is still expected to impact the United States east coast.
According to USA Today, eight deaths have been confirmed so far as a result of the storm. Two of these occurred in Cuba, with the remaining six occurring in Florida. NBC also reported nearly two dozen Cuban migrants are missing after their boat was caught in the storm. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently conducting a search-and-rescue operation.
President Biden has also approved Governor DeSantis’s request for the storm to be declared a ‘major disaster’, which has opened the door for federal aid to be provided, according to Politico. Some of the images and videos coming out of Florida have shown bridges collapsed and houses moved off their foundations by flooding. The hurricane also caused 2 million people to lose power.
According to Politico, “The head of Florida’s biggest electric utility also sounded the alarm that getting the lights back on won’t be easy while parts of the grid may need to be completely rebuilt.” No timeline was given as to exactly when people can expect to begin regaining power.
On helping the recovery process, President Biden stated, “I want the people of Florida to know that we will be here at every step of the way.”
