CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its final report Monday morning that upgraded Hurricane Ian to a Category 5. Around 8am on September 28, 2022, approximately seven hours before making landfall, Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunters detected winds of 161 mph over the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico, qualifying Ian as a Category 5 hurricane. (Category 5 = winds of 157 and higher.) Thereafter, Ian weakened slightly to a strong Category 4 with winds of 150 mph at landfall over Cayo Costa with a secondary landfall near Punta Gorda with winds of 144 mph.
Storm surge caused catastrophic damage along the coast, entering the second level of buildings on the beach. The new report confirms storm surge 10-15 feet above ground level from Sanibel, along Fort Myers Beach extending to Bonita Beach to Pelican Bay in Collier county.
6-9 feet of storm surge inundated coastal communities from Naples to Marco Island in Collier county. In Lee county, areas including North Captiva to Matlacha and farther inland, including downtown Fort Myers, were flooded by 6-9 feet of surge.
In Fort Myers Beach alone, an estimated 900 structures were totally destroyed, and 2,200 were damaged. In Lee County, at least 52,514 structures were impacted, of which 5,369 were destroyed and 14,245 received major damage.
Bridges and roadways were also severely damaged or destroyed. Roads and bridges to Sanibel and Pine Islands have washed away, limiting access to either by boat or helicopter. A portion of Interstate 75 in southern Sarasota County was shut down due to flooding from the Myakka River.
In Collier County, 33 buildings were destroyed, and over 3,500 buildings sustained major damage
At least 200 homes were destroyed in Charlotte County.
Ian was responsible for 156 direct and indirect deaths and more than $112 billion in damage, making it the costliest hurricane in Florida’s history and the third-costliest in United States history.
Here is the full report from NOAA.
