Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., swamped southwest Florida, flooding streets and buildings, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland. A coastal sheriff’s office reported that it was already getting a significant number of calls from people trapped in flooded homes. Some video showed debris-covered water sloshing toward the eaves of homes. The hurricane made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Cayo Costa, a protected barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers. Though expected to weaken to a tropical storm as it marches inland, Ian’s hurricane force winds are likely to be felt well into central Florida.
Hurricane Ian Swamps Southwest Florida
- By VOA News
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A fountain inside a condominium complex blows almost horizontal as residents tape their windows for security, south of Orlando, Florida, on Sept. 28, 2022.
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Tree limbs and palm fronds, knocked down from wind produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, litter a parking lot of a shopping center, Sept. 28, 2022, in Cooper City, Florida.
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Wind and rain pick up in the Ybor City neighborhood ahead of Hurricane Ian making landfall on Sept. 28, 2022 in Tampa, Florida.
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A man runs by a boarded-up storefront in Tampa, Florida, Sept. 27, 2022, as Hurricane Ian spins toward the state carrying high winds, torrential rains and a powerful storm surge.
