As Hurricane Ian makes its way into Florida within the coming hours on Wednesday, the storm surge is already revealing the severity of the Category 4 storm.
A camera from The Weather Channel in Ft. Myers, Florida, was able to visibly show the area around it prior to the surge, but it is now completely submerged underwater despite it being positioned six-feet high.
The flooding could rise up to 18 feet high in some areas, which will certainly cause a significant amount of damage to property. This camera shot gives greater context to the flooding in Ft. Myers.
A camera six ft high in downtown Ft. Myers is now submerged in #HurricaneIan storm surge. (Watch for before/after)
The Weather Channel's Mike Bettis: "There will be buildings that will not survive [this]."
Dr. Rick Knabb: "Yeah, even if parts…survive, they might…be gutted." pic.twitter.com/7qTJmBx5jR— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 28, 2022
The storm surge is just one component of the storm, as winds could be up to 155 mph, according to The Weather Channel.
As of 2 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Ian is “very near the coast of southwestern Florida Peninsula,” the National Hurricane Center tweeted. There is a hurricane warning in place for West Central Florida, as millions have evacuated the region in anticipation of the extreme weather.
2pm EDT 28 Sep — Hurricane #Ian is very near the coast of southwestern Florida Peninsula.
Maximum sustained winds remain near 155 mph with a minimum central pressure of 937 mb found by an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter (@53rdWRS).
Latest: https://t.co/tnOTyg5UEw pic.twitter.com/5rhfzUltE5
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 28, 2022
“#HurricaneIan is making landfall now. Florida is ready to respond. We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
#HurricaneIan is making landfall now. Florida is ready to respond. We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 28, 2022
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