Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian was a high-end category 4 storm with 150 mile-per-hour (241 kilometer-per-hour) winds that that struck southwest Florida on September 28, 2022. The deadliest storm in the state since 1935, Hurricane Ian killed 129 people in Florida, five in North Carolina, five in Cuba, and one in Virginia. Most of the deaths were caused by drowning, as the storm surge was as high as 15 feet (4.6 meters) in some areas. While initially projected to make landfall near Tampa, the storm struck land near Cayo Costa, causing massive destruction. Storm surges caused severe flooding on Sanibel and Pine Islands. Parts of both the Sanibel Causeway and the bridge to Pine Island collapsed and washed away, making it impossible for vehicles to travel to or from the islands. Millions of the state’s residents were left without power. In Florida, Hurricane Ian caused about $70 billion in damages. While the hurricane had weakened by the time it reached North Carolina, it caused flooding and power outages. Hurricane Ian was the ninth category 4 or 5 hurricane to strike the United States since 1972. It was also the first category 4 hurricane to strike Southwest Florida since Hurricane Charley in 2004.

Overview

Tropical Storm Ian formed on September 24, 2022, in the Caribbean southeast of Jamaica. Within twenty-four hours, it had intensified into a category 3 hurricane and made landfall near La Coloma in the Pinar Del Rio province in western Cuba, where it destroyed nearly eight thousand homes and damaged nearly seventy thousand. Because of the storm’s powerful winds, the country’s power grid failed, causing a long-lasting nationwide blackout.

While Ian weakened somewhat on land, it strengthened and grew when it reached the southeast Gulf of Mexico, where water temperatures were higher than normal. There it strengthened to a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 155 miles per hour (249 kilometers per hour), making it nearly a Category 5 storm, which has winds of 157 miles per hour (253 kilometers per hour).

While Hurricane Ian’s path was difficult to track, the hurricane appeared to be heading toward Florida’s west coast. At first the storm was projected to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area, with its eyewall plowing through Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in the area and Tampa’s airport closed. However, Ian was stronger and faster than forecasters had predicted. A low-pressure system in the jet airstream forced the storm to move east.

Fort Myers

On September 26, the National Weather Service (NWS) announced that Ian’s path had shifted south, and the massive storm was headed for the Fort Myers area in Lee County. Confused, officials in Lee County waited more than twelve hours to issue evacuation orders. Some residents claimed to have never received the orders and others said that it was too late for them to evacuate. At three o’clock on September 28, Hurricane Ian made landfall outside Fort Myers in Lee County, creating catastrophic damage. The storm surge in the city of Fort Myers reached a record high of 7.26 feet (2.21 meters). An unprecedented storm surge of 12 to 18 feet (3.7 to 5.5 meters) was reported along the coast of Southwest Florida. At least fifty-four people died when the storm made landfall. Some reported water reaching the second story of condominiums. Residents became trapped in their homes and vehicles and drowned.

Several of the area’s barrier islands were decimated. These included Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island, Sanibel Island, and Pine Island. Parts of the bridges leading into Sanibel and Pine islands collapsed and washed away, preventing vehicles from accessing the islands. Officials in Lee County estimated that more than fifty-two thousand homes and buildings had been damaged by the storm. Preliminary estimates of damage were $70 billion.

Even areas in central Florida were damaged from the hurricane. While it did not suffer catastrophic damage as Lee County did, the heavy rainfall caused significant flooding. Most of the city of Orlando was flooded because the rain caused lakes to overflow. Some residents reported having to travel via canoe because roads were impassible. Hacienda Village, which is about twenty minutes from Orlando, was also flooded, with ponds and creeks overflowing. Stormwater and sewage systems were overwhelmed.

The Carolinas

As Hurricane Ian moved inland, it was downgraded to a tropical storm. However, it grew into a hurricane again in the warm waters in the Atlantic Ocean as it headed for the Carolinas. It became a category 1 hurricane with 85 mile-per-hour (137 kilometer-per-hour) winds. It made landfall in Georgetown, South Carolina, about two o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, September 30. Storm surge along the coast was about 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 meters) and heavy rain caused flooding inland.

At about eleven o’clock that night, the storm again made landfall, this time near Greensboro, North Carolina. The storm brought significant flooding and was responsible for four deaths. More than 850,000 people in the Carolinas lost power because of Hurricane Ian.

Aftermath

Early in the morning on September 29, officials began search-and-rescue efforts, fearing that thousands of people in Florida may still be trapped by floodwaters. Search-and-rescue teams, first responders, and about five thousand members of the Florida Guard began the task of answering thousands of calls for help. Many people lacked access to food and water.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepared for the storm by assembling three hundred ambulances with medical teams and initiating plans to deliver 3.7 million meals and 3.6 million liters of water. After the hurricane, the American Red Cross set up shelters and began distributing food and supplies to people in need. Helicopters rescued those trapped on rooftops. They were also sent to barrier islands to rescue people who could not leave via vehicle and provide food and medical supplies to those who refused rescue. Officials began enforcing a curfew in Lee County to curb looting and burglaries.

By early October, more than 2,500 rescues had taken place. According to an article published by The Guardian on October 3, prior to the hurricane, officials said that twenty thousand Floridians who had filled out a shelter-in-place survey indicated that they planned to stay in their homes during the storm. However, of these individuals, they had only heard back from ten thousand, leaving the remaining ten thousand people unaccounted for. Officials said it was difficult to determine the reasons for this, as many people ultimately decided to leave their homes, and cellphone connectivity was sparce or nonexistent in some areas after the hurricane. At least 127 Floridians died during the hurricane.

The administration of President Joe Biden pledged support to those affected by Ian. Biden approved federal disaster funds for nine Florida counties. The funds permit residents of these areas to request up to $37,900 toward home repairs and another $37,900 for loss of personal property.

New health concerns emerged in the wake of Hurricane Ian, such as a spike in the number of cases of Vibrio vulnificus, flesh-eating bacteria. Health officials in Lee County reported twenty-nine confirmed cases and four deaths from the bacteria as of mid-October. Officials warned people to stay out of flood waters, as the bacteria thrives in warm brackish water and infects people through cuts and scrapes in their skin.

Climate Change

Data from NASA indicates that global warming was the reason for the increased the temperature of the waters in the Gulf of Mexico, fueling Hurricane Ian to become extremely powerful. The water off the coast was 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal for this time of year, with September being the peak of hurricane season. A few degrees can make an enormous difference in the intensity of a hurricane because it provides the storm with energy. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explained that Hurricane Ian was able to pull significant energy from the warm water in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.

While climate change does not increase the number of hurricanes, it makes them longer lasting and more powerful because warm waters sustain these storms. Scientists point out that the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has increased since 1980.

As the climate warms, more storms undergo rapid intensification, which is an increase of at least 35 miles per hour in wind over a twenty-four-hour period. Hurricane Ian underwent rapid intensification. In addition, Hurricane Harvey in 2017 surged from a category 1 hurricane to a category 4 overnight, and Hurricane Ida in 2001 strengthened from a category 1 to a near-category 5 in less than twenty-four hours.

Bibliography

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Dance, Scott. “Forecasters Feared the Worst for Ian’s Storm Surge. They Were Right.” Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2022, www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/10/18/hurricane-ian-storm-surge-damage/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

Hassan, Carma. “Dangerous Flesh-Eating Bacterial Infections Increased in Florida after Hurricane Ian.” CNN, 18 Oct. 2022, www.cnn.com/2022/10/18/health/rare-bacteria-hurricane-ian-floodwaters. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

“How Strong Were Ian’s Wind Gusts in Orlando and Across Central Florida.” Fox 35 Orlando, 3 Oct. 2022, www.fox35orlando.com/news/how-strong-were-ians-wind-gusts-in-orlando-and-across-central-florida. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

Leonhardt, David, Claire Moses, and Ian Prasad Philbrick. “Ian Moves North.” The New York Times, 29 Sept. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/briefing/hurricane-ian-storm-climate-change.html. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

Masters, Jeff, and Bob Henson. “Ian Smashes into Southwest Florida with Historic Force.” Yale Climate Connection,28 Sept. 2022, yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/09/ian-smashes-into-southwest-florida-with-historic-force/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

Salahieh, Nouran, and Dakin Andone. “Death Toll from Hurricane Ian Surpasses 100 as the Search for Survivors Continues in Florida.” CNN, 3 Oct. 2020, www.cnn.com/2022/10/03/us/hurricane-ian-florida-recovery-monday. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

Shao Elema, Nadja Popovich, and Mira Rojanasakul. “How Hurricane Ian Became So Powerful.” The New York Times, 30 Sept. 2022, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/09/29/climate/hurricane-ian-florida-intensity.html. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.