Roads, bridges and causeways washed out, closing Interstate 75 and crippling communities from Arcadia south to Sanibel. Just north of landfall, the Peace and Myakka rivers and Horse Creek crested at record heights, bringing flooding in Charlotte, Sarasota and Manatee counties.Īs Ian trudged inland, unprecedented amounts of rain – more than 20 inches - fell across Southwest and Central Florida. Rain fell torrentially and historically, at one-in-1,000-year levels in places, compounding the pushed-in seas. Lee County’s barrier islands: Estero Island, Pine Island, Sanibel and Captiva its mangrove coast and Caloosahatchee riverfront bore the brunt, with up to 18 feet of storm surge that swamped and splintered houses, wiped out piers and boardwalks and orphaned thousands of boats. Uncharacteristically, Ian’s backside winds were as strong as its leading edge. An hour-and-a-half later, it made mainland landfall in Charlotte County south of Punta Gorda.Īs Ian marched more than 140 miles across the peninsula, it would cause the majority of its deaths – 111 of 144 – in this 10-county region most affected by Ian’s eye. 28, it was the fifth-strongest storm ever recorded in the U.S., just shy of Category 5 strength. The largest share of those came from Lee County, where many people who did not evacuate drowned as storm surge inundated low-lying areas.īy the time Hurricane Ian reached Cayo Costa, an unbridged barrier island north of Captiva, at 3:05 p.m. How many people died in Hurricane IanĪs of the end of 2022, the death toll from Hurricane Ian stood at 144, making it the deadliest hurricane in the state since 1935. Region by region, you can see Ian’s toll, which in many areas lingers today, more than three months later. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says more than $4.4 billion in various forms of federal assistance, loans and flood insurance have been paid out. Insurers have reported $12.6 billion in insured losses to the Florida Department of Insurance Regulation. It left many Floridians cut off literally and figuratively – some trapped on flooded islands, others without power, internet or cellular service for weeks. It would prove to be one of the most devastating hurricanes ever to hit Florida, causing at least 144 deaths. It brought destruction not just to one region but to much of the state, in the form of deadly storm surge, wind damage, river and inland flooding and beach erosion. It was a monster, with monstrous results. Its eyewall alone was 60 miles (Hurricane Charley’s in 2004 was 12) and its 150 mph winds made it just shy of a Category 5. 28, Ian’s 200-mile wind field more than engulfed the 135-mile-wide peninsula. By the time it made landfall on Wednesday, Sept. It gathered strength, power and bulk as it went, swelling into the fifth strongest storm ever recorded in the U.S. Churning for days as a “disheveled mess,” it fed on warm water around Cuba before slow-rolling toward Southwest Florida at 9 mph. Hurricane Ian didn’t hurry as it aimed toward Florida’s west coast. They felt wind gusts of up to 65 mph and at least four tornadoes that caused major damage. SOUTH REGION: These eight counties were to the south of Ian’s center. The slow-moving storm still caused major damage and flooding in much of this region. NORTHEAST REGION: By the time Ian reached northeast Florida it had weakened into a tropical storm. It still suffered over $72.8 million in property damages. In the end, while bay area counties didn't feel the same effects as other regions. TAMPA BAY REGION: Ian was first aimed at the Tampa Bay region. The majority of the deaths – 111 of 144 – happened in a 10-county region most affected by Ian’s wrath. The hurricane came ashore near Cayo Costa, in Lee County, as a major Category 4 storm, but its maximum sustained winds were only 7 mph less than a Category 5.ĮYE PATH REGION: Ian tore a destructive path stretching more than 140 miles across the state. Ian's 150 mph winds and heavy rains knocked out power for 2.6 million residents and caused $12.6 billion in insured losses. These observations have not been quality controlled.Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast on September 28. Station names link to data for the previous 72 hours. Where no observation is available within the last 75 minutes, the latest observation is shown in italics and coloured and removed from the table after 30 hours.
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