Hurricane Ian: Waves flood roads in Key West as storm strengthens to category 4
Hurricane Ian has roared ashore in southwest Florida, making landfall at 3.05pm (local time) on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm with winds of 155mph.
Public officials urged residents who had failed to heed evacuation orders in vulnerable, low-lying areas to shelter in place as forecasters warned of “unsurvivable” storm surges of up to 18 feet in places.
Destructive waves slammed into the southwest coast from Englewood to Bonita Beach including Charlotte Harbor, near the town of Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers. As Ian plods across Florida in the next 24 hours, it is expected to drop 12 -18 inches of rain on top of coastal surges.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to hunker down, noting that it would be a “nasty” couple of days. More than 1.8 million people were without power on Wednesday afternoon.
TikTokers livestream devastation as category 4 storm makes landfall in Florida
ICYMI: Citizen weather reporters are sharing their daring clips of Hurricane Ian on TikTok, transfixing millions of viewers.
Bevan Hurley has the story.
Citizen weather reporters are sharing their daring clips of Hurricane Ian on TikTok, transfixing millions of viewers
Ian bringing ‘catastrophic storm surge’ to Florida
According to the latest National Hurricane Center update at 8pm ET, “Ian Continuing to Batter the Florida Peninsula With Catastrophic Storm Surge, Winds, and Flooding.”
Lee County ‘decimated’ by hurricane says official
Lee County Manager Roger Desjarlais says that the county, which includes Fort Myers and Cape Cora, has been “decimated” by Hurricane Ian.
“I am sad to tell you that while we don’t know the full extent of the damage to Lee County right now, we are beginning to get a sense that our community has been, in some respects, decimated,” he said on Wednesday, according to NBC News.
Hurricane Ian weakens to Category 3 storm
Hurricane Ian has weakened to a Category 3 storm with winds of 125mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Women rescued from waist-deep floodwater as Hurricane Ian swamps Florida
Women rescued from waist-deep floodwater as Hurricane Ian swamps Florida
All 59 cats at Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West survive storm
The Hemingway Home Museum in Key West says that all 59 of its famous cats have survived Hurricane Ian lashing the island.
“All our cat residents are safe. Hoping all in our community is staying safe,” the museum posted on Facebook on Wednesday.
The author started the feline colony when he lived and wrote at the property, and all 59 current members are of the six-toe variety.
More than 1.5m customers without power in Florida
As of 6.47pm ET, around 1,528,000 customers are currently without power in Florida because of Hurricane Ian, according to poweroutage.us.
Biden calls mayor of Fort Myers, cannot reach three other officials
Joe Biden called and spoke to the mayor of Fort Myers, Florida, but was unable to reach three other elected officials in the badly hit state, according to the White House.
The president reached Mayor Kevin Anderson and discussed the needs of the city, but he was not able to get through to the mayors of Cape Coral and Sarasota, as well as the Chair of Charlotte County.
The White House said that the president left messages for them.
Florida battered by Hurricane Ian
Wind gusts blow across the John Ringling Causeway as Hurricane Ian churns to the south on September 28, 2022 in Sarasota, Florida.
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Boil water notice in place in parts of Pasco County, Florida
“The water distribution system in this area lost pressure today (and) a water main ruptured,” stated a tweet from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
“While water service was restored, all water used for drinking or cooking should be boiled for at least one minute as a precaution.”
