Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest Florida coast as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on September 28, 2022, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph at landfall. Ian caused catastrophic storm surge, extreme winds, and devastating inland flooding across central Florida.
Ian developed in the Caribbean Sea, crossed western Cuba as a Category 3, then rapidly intensified over the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall near Fort Myers, Florida. After crossing the Florida peninsula, Ian re-emerged over the Atlantic and made a second landfall near Georgetown, South Carolina.
Ian caused $112 billion in damage, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third-costliest in U.S. history. Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island were nearly destroyed by storm surge reaching 18 feet. Inland flooding from Ian's rainfall killed dozens of people far from the coast.
Ian demonstrated that even a well-forecast storm can cause catastrophic casualties when people fail to evacuate from storm surge zones. The storm accelerated rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico, intensifying from a Category 1 to a Category 4 in less than 24 hours over warm Gulf waters.
Hurricane Ian reached a peak intensity of Category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and a minimum central pressure of 937 mb. It made landfall as a Category 4.
Hurricane Ian made landfall at Cayo Costa, Florida (near Fort Myers) on September 28, 2022.
Hurricane Ian caused $112 billion in damage and resulted in 161 deaths. Ian caused $112 billion in damage, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third-costliest in U.S. history. Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island were nearly destroyed by storm surge reaching 18 feet. Inland flooding from Ian's rainfall killed dozens of people far from the coast.
Yes. Hurricane Ian was so destructive that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) retired its name. It will never be used again for an Atlantic hurricane.