Ian struck the west coast of Florida as a category 4 hurricane, with monstrous winds and rains that flooded cities, leaving millions without power and many without drinking water.
Authorities are particularly concerned about Lee County, including Fort Myers, because, according to them, many still needed to be rescued from there on Thursday morning. There are also reports that five people have died in this county. An important bridge between Sanibel and Captiva islands and the mainland was destroyed.
The Naples area was also severely affected. Streets were submerged with water nearly swallowing vehicles and occupying the first floors of homes and businesses.
Ian was one of the strongest storms ever to hit Florida’s west coast. More than 2.5 million homes and businesses across the state were without power on Thursday morning, according to PowerOutage.us, and some drinking water systems were completely broken.
The total damage caused by the hurricane remains unknown: how many lives were lost, how many people remain isolated by water or debris, how many homes were destroyed, and how long it may take to restore these cities is still uncertain.
After leaving this trail of destruction on the coast, Ian continued marching northwest through the state with heavy rains. Flooding was reported in the Orlando area, where 8 to 12 inches of rain had already fallen and up to 4 more inches of rain were expected.