Hurricane Ian Leaves Trapped Florida Residents Pleading for Rescue as ‘Hundreds’ Feared Dead
The full scale of the disaster unleashed by Hurricane Ian on Florida began to emerge Thursday with hundreds feared dead after catastrophic flooding trapped residents in their homes, destroyed critical infrastructure, and left over 2 million people without power.
The fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. when measured by wind speed, Ian tore into the Southwest Florida coast with violent gales, an epic storm surge, and as much as a foot of rain being dropped over some areas.
At first light on Thursday morning, emergency crews were beginning to reckon with the monumental devastation left in Ian’s wake, as homes were ripped from their foundations and public buildings damaged.