In Pictures: Hurricane Ian Lashes Florida with Powerful Wind Gusts and Strong Surge
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Hurricane Ian made landfall near Fort Myers on Wednesday, just after 3 p.m. Meteorologists say it arrived as a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds near 150 mph.
They warned that storm surge could reach up to 18 feet in coastal areas in Florida.
Hurricane Ian picked up speed, threatening to upgrade to a category 5 storm.
More than 2.5 million people in Florida were under an evacuation order. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned people who did not evacuate to stay inside, calling Ian “the big one.”
“This is a really, really significant storm. It will be one of the storms people always remember.”
Nearly 645,000 customers are without power. The state’s largest electricity provider is bracing for damage to its utility.
Hurricane effects are expected to be felt in the Bahama islands which are located near Florida–Grand Bahama, Abaco, Bimini and Berry Islands where schools are closed.
