Hurricane Ian is expected to flood parts of Florida’s west coast with storm surges as high as 18 feet above the ground after making landfall Wednesday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said:.
Important reasons: The 12- to 18-foot height surge is unprecedented in the region and one of the tallest on record in the United States.
- “Ian is wreaking havoc on the Florida Peninsula with devastating storm surges, winds and floods,” the NHC said in a 5 p.m. ET update.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, warned at a Wednesday night briefing that damage would hit the entire state.
News promotion: Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida at 3:05 PM ET and maintained winds of up to 150 mph as a “very dangerous” hurricane. ” the NHC said.
- The NHC expects “catastrophic” storm surges of 12-18 feet anywhere from Inglewood, including Charlotte Harbour, to Bonita Beach.
- Storm surges are expected along most of Florida’s west coast, 8 to 12 feet between Bonita Beach and small Chocoloski Island in southern Florida, and 6 to 10 feet from Englewood to Longboat Key.
- Storm surges occur with strong winds, heavy rains, and significant flooding.
big storm By 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, Naples had already climbed more than 9 feet, a new city record, according to NOAA monitoring stations.
Threat level: Several communities, likely including Naples, will experience the worst surges and winds behind the Storm Eyewall.
- Winds are onshore and can be stronger than when the storm first approaches.
up to date: As of 7:00 PM ET, it was traveling northeast at approximately 8 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, and was located approximately 25 miles east-northeast of Punta Gorda.
- It made landfall on the mainland Florida peninsula just south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor at approximately 4:35 pm ET, according to the NHC.
- National Marine Service station near Fort. Myers reported water levels in excess of 7 feet, according to her EST NHC update for 7 p.m.
Big picture: The NHC considers the most deadly and destructive aspect of hurricanes: storm surges, or unusual rises in storm-generated water.
- Surges are the result of water being pushed toward coastlines by cyclonic winds moving around storms, and can cause “extreme” flooding in coastal areas, especially when they coincide with high tide.
Further details:
Andrew Freedman of Axios contributed to this story.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with additional details.