Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to strike the US mainland, battered southwest Florida with high winds, rain, and storm surges as it moved inland.
More than 2.5 million homes and businesses were left without power as the storm swept ashore in southwest Florida on Wednesday afternoon, bringing “catastrophic” 150 mph winds and a deadly storm surge of up to 18 feet. Hours later, the storm – estimated to be about 140 miles wide – was downgraded from a high category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm as it moved slowly northeast, causing major flooding.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said it brought “historic” damage to the state. “We’ve never seen a flood event like this,” DeSantis said.