Hurricane Ian is expected to inundate some areas of Florida’s west coast with storm surges of up to 18 feet above ground level as it moves across the peninsula after making landfall late Wednesday, the Center said National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Why it matters: Surge numbers this high (12 to 18 feet) would be unprecedented for the region and some of the highest on record in the U.S.
- “Ian slammed into the Florida peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding,” the NHC said in an update at 5 p.m. ET.
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) warned in a briefing Wednesday evening that there will be damage across the state: “Overwhelmingly, this surge has been the biggest problem and the flooding … as a result” , he said. “In some areas, we think it has reached 12 feet.”
Driving the news: Hurricane Ian made landfall at 3:05 pm ET near Cayo Costa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph as an “extremely dangerous” hurricane, the NHC said.
- NHC expects 12 to 18 feet of “catastrophic” swell between Englewood and Bonita Beach, including Charlotte Harbor.
- A storm surge is expected along nearly the entire west coast of Florida, with 8 to 12 feet expected somewhere between Bonita Beach and tiny Chokoloskee Island in south Florida, and 6 to 10 feet of ‘Englewood on Longboat Key.
- The storm surge will occur along with strong winds, heavy rain and significant flooding.
The large storm had already produced more than 9 feet of swell in Naples as of 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, a new record for the city, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitoring station.
Threat Level: Some communities, including likely Naples, will experience the worst of the surge and winds on the backside of the storm’s eyewall.
- Winds will be onshore and potentially stronger than during the storm’s initial approach.
The latest: As of 7 p.m. ET, it was moving northeast around 8 mph with maximum sustained winds at 125 mph and was about 25 miles east-northeast of Punta Gorda.
- It made landfall on the mainland Florida peninsula south of Punta Gorda near Pirate Harbor at about 4:35 p.m. ET, according to the NHC.
- A National Oceanic Service Station near Ft. Myers reported a water level of more than 7 feet, according to a 7:00 PM EST NHC update.
The big picture: The NHC considers storm surge, or an abnormal rise in water generated by a storm, to be the most deadly and destructive aspect of hurricanes.
- The surge is the result of water being pushed towards the coast by winds moving cyclonically around the storm and can cause “extreme” flooding in coastal areas, especially when it coincides with high tides.
Deepen:
Andrew Freedman of Axios contributed to this story.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details.