MIAMI — After days of anxious waiting and preparation, Category 4 Hurricane Ian crashed ashore near Punta Gorda on Wednesday afternoon, slamming southwest Florida with “catastrophic” 150 mph winds, driving rain and a dozen feet of storm surge.
It was already one for the record books, setting historic storm surge highs for Key West, Fort Myers and Naples several feet above past high water marks.
Numerous videos posted on the internet showed 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 underwater Wednesday afternoon, and forecasters said the worst of the surge was yet to come.
