Hurricane Ian, a category four tropical storm, hit the island of Cayo Costa on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. As it made its way up the state of Florida, it flooded businesses, homes, and anything that came in its path. Maximum winds reached 150 miles per hour and two million people were out of power during the event. As rescue teams continue to search the wreckage, the death toll increases day by day. As of Oct. 11, it has risen to over 100, becoming the deadliest storm to hit Florida in nearly 90 years. 

As the storm moved its way up the Caribbean, concerns arose as it grew in size and strength. It made its first impact on Florida’s west coast, which inhabits Fort Myers beach. The beach town, which has over 7,000 residents, was rocked by severe winds, causing catastrophic damage to the town’s infrastructure. Rubble and debris currently line the streets, and bodies are still being found underneath the receding water and wreckage. The storm has changed the lives of thousands of residents, as a majority of homes were destroyed or made completely uninhabitable, while nearly every business has severe water damage. Sadly, most of the residents being found are between the ages of 50 to 90 years old.

The older residents of the beach were unfortunately at a disadvantage due to the most common cause of death being drowning. Lack of access to medical help, transportation, and finances made it extremely difficult for residents to evacuate the beach. These issues affected the amount of residents that were able to keep safe from the extreme storm. 

Hurricane Ian was extremely difficult for forecasters to track as the usual system was irrelevant, due to Ian’s erratic behavior as it went through Cuba, eventually crash landing into Florida’s coast. This storm has greatly affected the Fort Myers area. However, rescue efforts are uncovering survivors in the rubble and saving lives, clearing paths, and making new opportunities available for residents.