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Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction across Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, cutting off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroying a historic waterfront pier and knocking out power to 2.67 million people as it dumped rain over a huge area on Thursday.Here’s the latest on Tropical Storm Ian:Authorities confirmed at least one storm death in Florida.President Joe Biden said Ian “could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history” and warned, “we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.”Ian weakened to a tropical storm Thursday after making landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane.The storm is expected to reintensify Thursday night before making landfall in South Carolina. Roughly 2.67 million homes and businesses were without electricity in FloridaWatch live video coverage above from sister station WESH in Orlando.Live storm coverage is also available for free on your connected TV from Very Local. Download the app here.Ian’s impact in Florida Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through flooded streets Thursday to save thousands of Floridians trapped after Hurricane Ian destroyed homes and businesses and left millions in the dark. The devastation began to come into focus a day after Ian made landfall in Florida as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. The storm flooded homes on both the state’s coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers. At least one man was confirmed dead.Aerial photos from the Fort Myers area, a few miles west of where Ian struck land, showed homes ripped from their slabs and deposited among shredded wreckage. Businesses near the beach were completely razed, leaving just twisted debris. Broken docks floated at odd angles beside damaged boats, and fires smoldered on lots where houses once stood. Authorities confirmed at least one storm death in Florida — a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said. “We’ve never seen storm surge of this magnitude,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a news conference. “The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event.”Video: WESH reporter talks about water rescueThe National Hurricane Center said storm surge and flooding rains remained a threat as Ian crept across the Florida peninsula and emerged in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Canaveral.Sheriffs in southwest Florida said 911 centers were inundated by thousands of stranded callers, some with life-threatening emergencies. The U.S. Coast Guard began rescue efforts hours before daybreak on barrier islands near where Ian struck, DeSantis said. More than 800 members of federal urban search and rescue teams were also in the area. A chunk of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people normally live. It was unknown how many heeded orders to evacuate, but Charlotte County Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller expressed cautious optimism that worst-case scenarios might not have been realized.No deaths or injuries have been confirmed in the county, and flyovers of barrier islands show “the integrity of the homes is far better than we anticipated,” Fuller said.South of Sanibel, the historic beachfront pier in Naples got destroyed, with even the pilings underneath torn out, as towering waves crashed over the structure. “Right now, there is no pier,” said Penny Taylor, a commissioner in Collier County, which includes Naples.The Florida Highway Patrol shut down the Florida Turnpike in the Orlando area and said the main artery in the middle of the state will remain closed until water subsides. Video: Florida wakes up to Hurricane Ian destruction Ian struck Florida as a monstrous Category 4 storm, with 150 mph winds that tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the U.S.Ian’s pathIan dropped to a tropical storm early Thursday over land but was expected to intensify again once its center moves over the Atlantic Ocean and menace the South Carolina coast Friday at near-hurricane strength before moving inland.The National Hurricane Center warned storm surge of 6 feet or more was possible from Daytona Beach, Florida, to north of Charleston, South Carolina. Rainfall of up to 8 inches threatened flooding in the Carolinas and Virginia.A hurricane warning was issued for the South Carolina coast.At 2 p.m. Thursday, the storm was about 40 miles north northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and moving toward the cape at 9 mph, the center said.LATEST CONELATEST MODELSLATEST SATELLITEThe governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia all preemptively declared states of emergency.Devastation in CubaA boat carrying Cuban migrants sank Wednesday in stormy weather east of Key West.The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people and managed to find three survivors about two miles south of the Florida Keys, officials said. Four other Cubans swam to Stock Island, just east of Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol said. Aircrews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants.The storm previously tore into Cuba, killing two people and bringing down the country’s electrical grid.Video: Space station flies over Hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian carved a path of destruction across Florida, trapping people in flooded homes, cutting off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroying a historic waterfront pier and knocking out power to 2.67 million people as it dumped rain over a huge area on Thursday.
Here’s the latest on Tropical Storm Ian:
- Authorities confirmed at least one storm death in Florida.
- President Joe Biden said Ian “could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida history” and warned, “we’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.”
- Ian weakened to a tropical storm Thursday after making landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 hurricane.
- The storm is expected to reintensify Thursday night before making landfall in South Carolina.
- Roughly 2.67 million homes and businesses were without electricity in Florida
Watch live video coverage above from sister station WESH in Orlando.
Live storm coverage is also available for free on your connected TV from Very Local. Download the app here.
Ian’s impact in Florida
Rescue crews piloted boats and waded through flooded streets Thursday to save thousands of Floridians trapped after Hurricane Ian destroyed homes and businesses and left millions in the dark.
The devastation began to come into focus a day after Ian made landfall in Florida as one of the strongest hurricanes ever to hit the U.S.
The storm flooded homes on both the state’s coasts, cut off the only bridge to a barrier island, destroyed a historic waterfront pier and knocked out electricity to 2.67 million Florida homes and businesses — nearly a quarter of utility customers. At least one man was confirmed dead.
Aerial photos from the Fort Myers area, a few miles west of where Ian struck land, showed homes ripped from their slabs and deposited among shredded wreckage. Businesses near the beach were completely razed, leaving just twisted debris. Broken docks floated at odd angles beside damaged boats, and fires smoldered on lots where houses once stood.
Authorities confirmed at least one storm death in Florida — a 72-year-old man in Deltona who fell into a canal while using a hose to drain his pool in the heavy rain, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
“We’ve never seen storm surge of this magnitude,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a news conference. “The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event.”
Video: WESH reporter talks about water rescue
The National Hurricane Center said storm surge and flooding rains remained a threat as Ian crept across the Florida peninsula and emerged in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Canaveral.
Sheriffs in southwest Florida said 911 centers were inundated by thousands of stranded callers, some with life-threatening emergencies. The U.S. Coast Guard began rescue efforts hours before daybreak on barrier islands near where Ian struck, DeSantis said. More than 800 members of federal urban search and rescue teams were also in the area.
A chunk of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people normally live. It was unknown how many heeded orders to evacuate, but Charlotte County Emergency Management Director Patrick Fuller expressed cautious optimism that worst-case scenarios might not have been realized.
No deaths or injuries have been confirmed in the county, and flyovers of barrier islands show “the integrity of the homes is far better than we anticipated,” Fuller said.
South of Sanibel, the historic beachfront pier in Naples got destroyed, with even the pilings underneath torn out, as towering waves crashed over the structure. “Right now, there is no pier,” said Penny Taylor, a commissioner in Collier County, which includes Naples.
The Florida Highway Patrol shut down the Florida Turnpike in the Orlando area and said the main artery in the middle of the state will remain closed until water subsides.
Video: Florida wakes up to Hurricane Ian destruction
Ian struck Florida as a monstrous Category 4 storm, with 150 mph winds that tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the U.S.
Ian’s path
Ian dropped to a tropical storm early Thursday over land but was expected to intensify again once its center moves over the Atlantic Ocean and menace the South Carolina coast Friday at near-hurricane strength before moving inland.
The National Hurricane Center warned storm surge of 6 feet or more was possible from Daytona Beach, Florida, to north of Charleston, South Carolina. Rainfall of up to 8 inches threatened flooding in the Carolinas and Virginia.
A hurricane warning was issued for the South Carolina coast.
At 2 p.m. Thursday, the storm was about 40 miles north northeast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and moving toward the cape at 9 mph, the center said.
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LATEST SATELLITE
The governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia all preemptively declared states of emergency.
Devastation in Cuba
A boat carrying Cuban migrants sank Wednesday in stormy weather east of Key West.
The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people and managed to find three survivors about two miles south of the Florida Keys, officials said. Four other Cubans swam to Stock Island, just east of Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol said. Aircrews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants.
The storm previously tore into Cuba, killing two people and bringing down the country’s electrical grid.
Video: Space station flies over Hurricane Ian
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