MIAMI — After days of anxious waiting and preparation, Hurricane Ian weakened to a Category 3 just hours after crashing ashore near Punta Gorda with “catastrophic” winds — marking the beginning of the end for the historic storm.
However, Southwest Florida is still being pounded with rain and a dozen feet of storm surge. Ian brought record-breaking storm surge highs for Key West, Fort Myers and Naples several feet above previous high water marks.
Numerous videos posted on the internet show torrents of seawater rapidly filling streets in Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach and Naples — washing away stop signs, cars, boats and homes. Entire city blocks were submerged Wednesday afternoon, and forecasters noted the worst of the surge was yet to come.
