Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida Wednesday afternoon, threatening The Sunshine State with heavy rainfall and “catastrophic wind damage.” Videos from the area show numerous homes and vehicles engulfed in floodwaters, a shark stranded in flooded city streets, and swimmers attempting to take on the violent storm.
In an 11 a.m. advisory, the National Hurricane Center warned of “catastrophic storm surge inundation of 12 to 18 feet above ground level along with destructive waves.” After the center’s warning, a video showing homes “floating off their foundations” in Fort Myers Beach was posted on Twitter by Yeshiva World News reporter Moshe Schwartz.
Schwartz tweeted a second video, writing that “Naples literaly looks like a river.”
Meteorologist Kaitlin Wright posted video of major flooding in Fort Myers, as well.
“Currently in Fort Myers, Florida. Video by Loni Architects #flwx #Ian #hurricane,” she wrote.
Reed Timmer, who describes himself on Twitter as an “extreme meteorologist,” shared video that showed a “MAJOR storm surge” at Pine Island, Florida.
Hurricane Specialist Zach Covey tweeted video of a group of swimmers playing in the water as Hurricane Ian made landfall.
“New video just in from Fort Myers, FL shows swimmers getting into the storm surge as Hurricane #Ian approaches. This is EXTREMELY dangerous,” he tweeted. “I can’t believe I have to say this…. DO NOT GET INTO THE WATER!”
Another video out of Bonita Beach, Florida showed a Good Samaritan saving a cat that was stranded in the storm.
“DARING RESCUE: A Good Samaritan risked his life to save a cat that was stuck, perched on an air conditioner during #HurricaneIan,” tweeted NBC 2’s Gage Goulding.
News Contributor Colin McCarthy tweeted video of a shark that was stranded in flooded city streets.
“The storm surge is so powerful from #HurricaneIan that it has brought a shark into the city streets of Fort Myers,” he wrote.
As Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted a message of preparedness, assuring residents that “Florida is ready to respond.”
“#HurricaneIan is making landfall now. Florida is ready to respond. We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help,” DeSantis tweeted.
