Florida —
Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday afternoon as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane.
Ian came ashore near Cayo Costa, Florida with winds of 150 mph.
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As of 4:00 p.m., Hurricane Ian was moving north-northeast at 9 mph. It is located 10 miles west-southwest of Punta Gorda, Florida and 20 miles northwest of Fort Myers.
The storm is expected to cause a life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds and flooding on the Florida peninsula.
Center Ian is forecast to move over central Florida Wednesday night and emerge over the western Atlantic by Thursday morning and late Thursday.
A hurricane warning has been issued for: Polk, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard and Volusia counties
A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for: Flagler County, Marion County
Tornado Watch issued for Brevard, Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties until 5 p.m.
Wednesday: Rain, wind, strong storms forecast for much of Central Florida. Tornadoes and widespread flooding are a concern. The official landing is expected sometime on Wednesday.
Thursday: Lingering thunderstorms, tracking storm movement
People trapped by water in their homes in Collier County, Florida, the sheriff’s office says
People are trapped in their homes by water, the Collier County, Florida Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook on Wednesday.
“Here’s some hard news you need to know. We’re not holding back: We’re in triage mode. We’re getting a significant number of calls from people trapped by water in their homes,” the statement said.
“Some are reporting life-threatening medical emergencies in deep water. We’ll get to them first. Some report water coming into their house, but it is not life threatening. They will have to wait. Maybe until the water recedes,” the statement said.
Lee County’s 911 system is down and calls are being routed to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, according to the statement.
12 min ago
The governors of North and South Carolina have declared states of emergency in preparation for Ian’s impact
By CNN’s Virginia Langmaid
The governors of North Carolina and South Carolina on Wednesday declared states of emergency in their states in preparation for the potential impact of Hurricane Ian.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said the move allows them to have active emergency plans and other resources.
“It is still too early to know exactly how Hurricane Ian will affect South Carolina, but preparations are well underway at the state level and this emergency declaration is the next step in that process,” McMaster said in a statement.
Cooper also activated “about 80” members of the North Carolina National Guard to respond to the storm. According to Cooper’s office, the emergency declaration removes size restrictions for vehicles involved in storm response and agriculture.
“A state of emergency is needed now so that farmers and storm preparers can prepare more quickly for the heavy rain that is likely to fall across much of our state,” Cooper said in a statement.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected to bring heavy rain and a flurry of thunderstorms to some East Coast states over the weekend.
30 min ago
Fort Myers is experiencing record water levels amid storm surge, CNN meteorologist says
From CNN’s Brandon Miller
Water levels in Fort Myers, Florida continue to rise after Hurricane Ian made landfall as the storm continues to push inland.
Water levels have risen more than 6 feet in the past 7 hours and are still rising as strong winds push Gulf of Mexico water ashore.
Hurricane Ian has already pushed waters higher than ever seen in Fort Myers, which began measuring in 1965.
36 min ago
More than 1 million customers without power in Florida
By CNN’s Virginia Langmaid
According to PowerOutage.us, more than 1 million customers are without power in Florida.
The website says Lee County, home to Fort Myers and Cape Coral, is still the hardest hit, with more than 330,000 power outages, representing more than 70% of utility customers.
Collier County, which includes Naples and Marco Island, has more than 151,000 customers without power.
In Sarasota County, which includes the cities of Sarasota and Siesta Key, more than 182,000 customers are in the dark, according to the website.
53 min ago
Target and Walmart will close stores in the path of Hurricane Ian
By CNN’s Parija Kavilanz
Target is closing stores or adjusting hours at 70 of its Florida locations that are in the immediate path of Hurricane Ian, according to the retailer.
Residents across the state braced for Ian’s full impact after the powerful Category 4 storm made landfall on Wednesday. Stores saw a rush of customers stocking up on essential and emergency supplies of bottled water, food and batteries.
Target said it was mobilizing its supply chain to expedite critical deliveries to its stores in affected areas in the coming days.
Walmart also said it was temporarily closing its stores in areas in the storm’s path as a precaution.
Walmart said it will provide emergency financial assistance to employees at affected stores, as well as displacement assistance to employees who are being mandatorily evacuated.
“Regarding the loss of power and reopening after the storm has passed, we have taken steps that give us the best opportunity to resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so,” Walmart said in a statement that included a list of the closed locations.
1 h 9 min ago
Hurricane Ian has become the strongest storm to hit Florida’s west coast, CNN meteorologist says
From CNN’s Brandon Miller
Hurricane Ian is now tied with 2004’s Hurricane Charley as the most powerful storm to make landfall on the west coast of the Florida peninsula, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller reports. Both of these storms hit the coast with winds of 150 mph.
Ian dropped slightly from 155 to 150 mph on landing.
The storm surge also set records for the highest water levels ever seen in several locations, according to Miller.
Water levels in Ft Myers are still rising as of Wednesday afternoon, but are already higher than previous highs, with records going back to 1965. Water levels in Naples were already more than 2 feet higher than ever seen at 1 p.m., but the water meter stopped reporting data, so it’s unclear how high it reached, Miller said
