Hurricane Ian made landfall yesterday on Florida’s southwestern shores. The storm was a category 4 hurricane and reached peak wind speeds of 155mph upon its landfall. It has since been weakened by its slow, destructive march across the Florida peninsula towards the Atlantic Ocean. Despite it currently being a category 1 hurricane, it is still strong and legitimately dangerous.
Currently, there are an estimated 2.3 million people without power in Florida. But that is only some of the massive infrastructure damage done by the horrific flooding and ripping wind brought by Hurricane Ian. Sheriff Offices in the area are now saying that they received distressing calls throughout last night from people who were in their homes and trapped by flood waters. Some of them had medical emergencies that were life threatening. Officials claim it will likely take days to weeks for power to be completely restored.
Schools in counties across Florida have turned into storm shelters. School teachers and other staff have apparently been working nonstop to ready their schools for evacuees. Keep in mind, evacuation orders were given for certain coastal areas of Florida this past Monday. In the schools converted to storm shelters, families will sleep in designated areas and be able to get meals. Certain shelters are even pet friendly.
The U.S. Coast Guard is also searching for Cuban migrants in the waters around the Florida Keys. The boat of the Migrants reportedly sank due to Hurricane Ian. Some of those aboard managed to be rescued or swim to shore. But it is estimated there are still up to 20 migrants still needing rescue.
Insurance modelers currently estimate the damages caused by the hurricane to be anywhere from $20 to $40 billion. Official reports of deaths are yet to come out. But after devastating Cuba and Florida, Hurricane Ian is now projected to move towards Georgia and the Carolinas as it begins to lose strength.
