Hurricane Ian makes historic landfall on Florida’s Western Coast battering the state as it continues to move at moderate speed demolishing almost everything in its path. With winds up to 150 mph, Ian is one of the most severe storms to ever hit the United States.

Article by Georgia Simon, Associate White House Reporter

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Making landfall on Sept. 28th, as a Category 4 Hurricane, Ian has left devastating damage to Florida’s Gulf Coast with over 2.5 million Floridians without power and historic amounts of storm surge covering the southwest region of the state. 

President Biden issued a Disaster Declaration on Sept. 29th, whilst FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency, is helping alongside the Coast Guard with search and rescue.

“The amount of water that’s been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. “We’ve never seen a storm surge of this magnitude.” 

Hurricane Ian was abnormal as the direction of the storm changed on a daily basis. Although missing Tampa and St. Petersburg by 100 miles south, originally it was supposed to hit head-on, enabling the first considerable and direct hurricane since 1921, for these two cities. 

A portion of Sanibel Causeway, which connects Sanibel Island and Punta Rassa, has been ripped apart from the mainland, completely cutting off entry and exit. Although being under mandatory evacuation orders, it is unknown who followed this instruction, causing concern that Floridians are still on the island. 

Just under Sanibel, lies a demolished Collier County, including Naples Florida, where enormous waves struck the famous beach town. “Right now, there is no pier,” said Penny Taylor, a commissioner for Collier County.  

Overturned trees have kept homes from electricity and cell service, leaving citizens unable to call for help in desperate times of flooded living rooms and floating cars. 

“Portable towers are on the way for cell service. Chances are your loved ones do not have the ability to contact you,” said the Collier County sheriff's office. 

Although Ian is on track to leave inland Florida, the National Hurricane Center believes it will retrieve strength as it hits the Atlantic Ocean, near the Kennedy Space Center, en route to South Carolina. 

In preparation for any un-expedencies, states across the eastern coast have declared a state of emergency. These states include Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.