Hurricane Ian was recorded as one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Ian was a tropical storm that developed near the Central Caribbean Sea on the 23rd of September, 2022. It is the 9th tropical storm in the 2022 Season.

Hurricane Ian initially made landfall as a Category 3 storm in Cuba, leaving the entire island without power. As Hurricane Ian reached Florida’s Gulf Coast, it strengthened to a Category 4 Storm. Hurricane Ian’s maximum winds reached 155 miles per hour. Although these winds had been recorded hours prior to landfall, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale determined that Hurricane Ian was 2 mph shy of Category 5 classification.

Ian brought life-threatening storm surge, rainfall, and flooding to the coasts of Florida. It later cut a watery, wind-battered path to South Carolina. The storm knocked out the power of 2.6 million, and left billions of dollars worth of damage. More than 400,000 homes and businesses across Florida were without power as of October 3rd.

Some residents were found riding out of the deadly storm amid screeching winds, ravaging waves, and rising waters in an attempt to escape imminent danger. These residents then had to return to flood-devastated homes and communities that had to be gutted for mold prevention. Hurricane Ian left boats on highways, erased entire neighborhoods, and even swept away beaches. The vast majority of citizens have been attempting to dry out and salvage anything they can find from the rubble.

At least 119 people died in Hurricane Ian, the majority of victims being Florida. New data shows that most deaths were caused by drowning. This makes it the third-deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland this century.