- Hurricane Ian landed in western Florida Wednesday afternoon as a devastating Category 4 storm, bringing heavy rain and 150 mph winds. [Associated Press / Curt Anderson]
Residents of southwest Florida faced scenes of widespread destruction and flooding as the storm battered the state overnight and left more than 2.4 million people without power. - Over 2.5 million Floridians were ordered to evacuate. Up to 18 inches of rain, and storm surges topping 18 feet, are expected along 100 miles of coastline. [CNBC / Ashley Capoot]
- Governor Ron DeSantis said the state would issue disaster declarations for impacted counties; 250 aircraft and 1,600 high water vehicles were mobilized for rescue efforts. [Orlando Sentinel]
- Ian may have been made more severe by climate change, which can worsen hurricanes, as storms generate more power from warmer oceans. Climate change also makes hurricanes slower, meaning damaging conditions last longer. [CBS News / Gina Martinez]
- Recent population growth in Florida’s coastal cities have put more people in harm’s way than during past storms. And more people means more infrastructure that’s destroyed in severe storms. [Vox / Umair Irfan]
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