Hurricane Ian is expected to inundate parts of Florida’s west coast with storm surges up to 18 feet above ground as it moves across the peninsula after making landfall Wednesday afternoon, the The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Why is this important: Surge numbers this high – 12 to 18 feet – would be unprecedented for the region and among the highest ever recorded in the United States
- “Ian is hitting the Florida Peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding,” the NHC said in a 5 p.m. ET update.
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (right) warned during a Wednesday night briefing that there would be damage across the state: ‘Overall, it was this push that was the most big problem and flooding…as a result,” he said. “In some areas we believe it has reached 12 feet.”
Driving the news: Hurricane Ian made landfall at 3:05 p.m. ET near Cayo Costa, Florida with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane. NHC said.
- The NHC expects a “catastrophic” storm surge between 12 and 18 feet somewhere between Englewood and Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor.
- Storm surge is expected across much of Florida’s west coast, with 8 to 12 feet expected somewhere between Bonita Beach and the small island of Chokoloskee in South Florida, and 6 to 10 feet between Englewood and Longboat Key .
- The storm surge will occur accompanied by high winds, heavy rains and extensive flooding.
The Great Storm had already caused more than 9 feet of surge in Naples as of 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, a new record for the city, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitoring station.
Threat level: Some communities, likely including Naples, will experience the worst of the surf and winds behind the storm’s eyewall.
- Winds will be onshore and potentially stronger than they were when the storm initially approached.
The last: As of 7 p.m. ET, it was moving northeast at about 8 mph with maximum sustained winds at 125 mph and was located about 25 miles east-northeast of Punta Gorda.
- It made landfall on the Florida mainland just south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor around 4:35 p.m. ET, according to the NHC.
- A National Ocean Service station near Ft. Myers reported water levels above 7 feet, according to an NHC update at 7 p.m. EST.
The big picture: The NHC considers storm surge, or an abnormal rise in water generated by a storm, to be the deadliest and most destructive aspect of hurricanes.
- The surge is the result of water being pushed inshore by winds moving cyclonically around the storm and can cause “extreme” flooding in coastal areas, especially when coinciding with high tides .
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Axios’ Andrew Freedman contributed to this story.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with additional details.
