Floridians know the sight of rising sea levels and strong winds all too well.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida Wednesday afternoon with winds of up to 150mph, just shy of Category 5 status, ripping through the region.
This is one of the strongest storms the state has seen, causing catastrophic damage and flooding to cities like Fort Meyers and Naples. Governor Ron DeSantis announced mandatory evacuation orders on Tuesday for coastal communities, mobile homes, and low-lying areas.
In a press conference Wednesday, DeSantis warned that the Category 4 hurricane could cause extensive damage to the Gulf Coast and widespread power outages, with full restoration efforts likely to take weeks. He also mentioned that FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) has already agreed to reimburse 100 percent of recovery costs over the next 60 days.
A condensed clip from a live traffic cam on Sanibel Island showed how the hurricane quickly flooded part of the city in just 30 minutes. Flooding in much of Fort Meyers is already significantly worse than Hurricane Irma, which left intense damage five years ago.The scope of the storm is deadly as its path is expected to move northwest across Florida, through Orlando. In a tweet from Governor DeSantis, Florida is prepared to respond state-wide to the moving storm with linemen and national guards on the frontline.
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