‘Catastrophic’ Ian Makes Landfall in Florida as One of the Most Powerful Hurricanes Ever

Storm surge from Hurricane Ian began inundating several cities on the Southwest Florida coast on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping some homes off their foundations as it simultaneously pounded Florida with 155 mph winds.

Winds at that speed are the equivalent of an EF3 tornado, meteorologist Matthew Cappucci reported, and are expected to span at least 50 miles as Ian—the strongest storm of the season and one of the most powerful in history—wallops Florida.

While the whipping winds are a serious threat, the National Hurricane Center says that “catastrophic” storm surge of 18 feet—enough to inundate some small homes completely—could also be deadly between Sarasota and Fort Myers, where Ian made landfall just after 3 p.m.