hurricaneian

Wednesday, April 15, 2026
74 °F Nassau, BS

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CSJ Report explains the latest news stories, providing clear, contextualized content.

hurricaneian

In Pictures: Hurricane Ian Rips Florida, Uproots Homes. Hundreds May Be Dead

Floridians along the west coast woke up on Thursday morning to devastation as Hurricane Ian moves over the state.The ferocious storm dumped rain and brought wind gusts that pushed over homes, uprooted trees, and may have killed hundreds of people.Two million people are without power and many are without water.Rescue workers are searching for people trapped in their homes.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis described it as historic. “We’ve never seen a flood event like this,” he said. “It is one of the top five hurricanes to ever hit the Florida peninsula.”

President Biden has since declared it a disaster, approving disaster funding to get the state to a sense of normalcy. He added that though not official, many people are feared dead. “This could be the deadliest storm in Florida history. The numbers we have are still unclear, but we’re hearing early reports of what may be a substantial loss of life.”

Ian made landfall on Wednesday as a category 4 hurricane. It has since weakened to a tropical storm as it barrels up north but is expected to strengthen as it moves over the Atlantic Ocean later on Thursday.

Orlando has since declared a flash flood emergency.

 

Photo credit: Getty, ABC News

In Pictures: Hurricane Ian Lashes Florida with Powerful Wind Gusts and Strong Surge

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.