With Hurricane Helene intensifying on its path to hit Florida as a significant storm, residents and officers are making ready for impression as reminders from 2022’s lethal and damaging Hurricane Ian stay within the Gulf Coast.
Helene is forecast to change into a Class 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds by the point it makes landfall Thursday night time, prompting emergency declarations, faculty closures and evacuation orders in components of the state.
However as the newest climate disaster nears, the shadow of 2022’s lethal and damaging Hurricane Ian looms over Florida’s nonetheless recovering Gulf Coast within the southwest area of the state.
Practically two years in the past to the day, Hurricane Ian made landfall close to Cayo Costa, Florida, a small island west of Fort Myers, on the morning of Sept. 28, 2022.
A day after Hurricane Ian hit Florida’s west coast as a Class 4 storm, wrecked ships (largely shrimpers) could be seen at San Carlos Island in Fort Myers Seashore on Sept. 29, 2022.
Pedro Portal/Miami Herald/TNS by way of Getty Pictures
Ian made impression as a Class 4 storm with 150 mph sustained winds and an onslaught of rain and storm surges that grew to become one of the crucial highly effective and lethal hurricanes in Florida’s historical past.
The brunt of Ian’s drive was felt on Fort Myers Seashore and the state’s barrier islands, Pine Island, Sanibel Island, Captiva and the village Matlacha.
Because the storm intensified, barrier island residents had been left stranded from mainland Florida when components of the Sanibel Causeway had been destroyed and parts of the Pine Island bridge had been partially washed out.
In response to the Florida Division of Transportation, reconstruction and security reinforcement efforts proceed on each buildings to resist future storms.
Aerial photograph of the broken Sanibel Causeway that connects Fort Myers to the island group seen within the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Fla., Sept. 29, 2022.
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The facility of Hurricane Ian was historic, with a storm surge of 12 to 18 toes above floor degree reported alongside the southwestern Florida coast. The town of Fort Myers skilled a 7.26-foot surge, which grew to become a file excessive, in keeping with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Within the days following Ian’s landfall, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated on the time that just about 2,500 folks had been rescued by emergency crews and over 100,000 impacted buildings had been searched.
Florida’s Medical Examiners Fee confirmed 149 deaths within the state attributed to Hurricane Ian, with most fatalities occurring on the state’s Gulf Coast in Lee County.
A girl views a memorial wall for victims of Hurricane Ian in Centennial Park in Fort Myers, Fla., Oct. 31, 2022.
Paul Hennessy/LightRocket by way of Getty Pictures
Ian grew to become the deadliest hurricane in Florida since 1935 and is the most costly in state historical past, in keeping with NOAA.
The wake of destruction from Hurricane Ian left a $115.5 billion price ticket for cleanup. NOAA ranks Ian because the third costliest hurricane in U.S. historical past after Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2027.
The storm had extreme impacts on the state’s energy grid, with outages rising to 2.5 million within the state within the days following landfall, in keeping with officers.
Earlier this month, because the second anniversary of Ian’s landfall approaches, the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) introduced a six-month extension on its housing program that continues to assist survivors of the storm.
This photograph exhibits an aerial view of broken property after Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Seashore, Fla., Dec. 2, 2022.
Jeff Greenberg/Getty Pictures
Since Hurricane Ian, FEMA has supplied momentary housing items for greater than 1,300 displaced households within the state, whereas greater than 80% of households have discovered a everlasting house, the necessity for housing help within the area stays, in keeping with the company.
Two years later, federal assist for restoration from the storm reached $10.2 billion for households, companies, communities and flood insurance coverage policyholders, in keeping with FEMA.
On the eve of Hurricane Helene’s forecasted landfall, necessary evacuations are in impact in components of no less than 20 Florida counties, together with Taylor, Sarasota, Gulf and Hillsborough.
Keep updated on ABC Information’ reside Hurricane Helene protection and monitoring because the storm progresses.
