Here’s Why Hurricane Ian Severely Damaged Central Florida Despite Landing Near Fort Myers

THE HUGE AMOUNT OF FLOODS AROUND I WANT YOU LOOK AT THESE IMAGES, IT’S JUST IT’S DEVASTATING. WHAT WAS THE MOST AMAZING AND SHOCKING IMAGE YOU SEE COVERED TODAY? YOU KNOW I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WAITING FOR ME IS A CHOPPER VIDEO OF THE HOUSE THAT THE WATER IS UP TO ITS ROOF LEVEL AND HE IS HOPE THESE PEOPLE GOT OUT BECAUSE, YET, YOU KNOW , IF I WAS IN THIS AREA AND KNEW 15 INCHES OF RAIN IS COMING I DON’T KNOW IF I WOULD HAVE GONE, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE TO THINK, I HOPE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT THE WATER STARTS TO COME. THEY ARE ABLE TO EXIT. BEFORE REALLY UP THE LEVEL, I FORGOT WHO WAS THE REPORTER WHO TOLD SOMEONE TO USE A CHAINSAW TO GET IT TO CLEAR THEIR EXIT. YEAH, THIS RAIN IS JUST DEVASTATING. HAS JUST WHERE TO GO. I WANT TO GO BACK TO FALLUJAH FOR ONE MORE QUESTION, HOWEVER, I GUESS WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND IS HOW A HURRICANE THAT DROPS MYERS STRONG AND CROSSES ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE STATE WHEN IT ARRIVES IN THE CENTER OF FLORIDA, INFLICTS DAMAGE IN ITS FINAL STOP? WELL, THE MOST DAMAGE AT THE LAST STOP, RIGHT? I mean, it’s just because it was so it was going pretty slow, about 70 miles per hour. IT HAS JUST SO MUCH RAIN TO SHOW AS IT HITS MYERS IN CATEGORY FOUR, ALMOST SAME CATEGORY. THAT’S A LOT OF MOMENTUM AND BOOSTING WINDS. IT MUST THEREFORE BE REDUCED. SO HE STILL HAD A LOT OF STRENGTH AND THE POWER IS MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE PENINSULA. BUT THEN YOU GET THE OTHER SIDE. IT IS STARTING TO RETURN ALL THE MOISTURE FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE SHORE. SO YOU GET THE STORM SURGE PROBLEMS WELL UP THERE. THEN, AS THE STORM SURGE MOVES ALONG THE COAST, MOST OF THE RIVERS AND MOST OF THE DRAINAGE EVACUATE TO THE OCEAN, WITH HALF OF THE OCEAN SETTING UP AGAINST THESE PIPES. IT JUST CAN’T FLOW. SO YOU HAVE GOING SLAP, ONE WAY AND TURN AND SLAP. GOO

Here’s Why Hurricane Ian Severely Damaged Central Florida Despite Landing Near Fort Myers

Updated: 10:12 p.m. EDT September 29, 2022

The shocking images showing the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ian have been staggering, and many might wonder how this storm caused such widespread damage across the state of Florida despite its weakening. First warning meteorologist Alex Alecci said Ian was moving quite slowly after making landfall at near Category 5 status in southwest Florida. “There was so much rain to pour,” Alecci said. “And while he hit Fort Myers as a Category 4, almost even a Category 5, that’s a lot of wind momentum and rotations. So he needs to calm down.” Ian had a lot of strength and power as he crossed the Florida peninsula, but it was what happened on the other side of the peninsula that created a damaging effect. “It’s starting to bring all that moisture from the Atlantic back to shore,” Alecci said. “So you also have storm surge issues up there. As the storm surge moves up the coast, most rivers and most drainage systems flow out to the ocean. While the ocean is piling up against these pipes, it just can’t flow out.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that central Florida is experiencing “a 500-year flood” during a press conference Thursday.

ORLANDO, Florida—

The shocking images showing the devastation wrought by Hurricane Ian have been staggering, and many might wonder how this storm caused such widespread damage across the state of Florida despite its weakening.

First warning meteorologist Alex Alecci said Ian was moving quite slowly after making landfall at near Category 5 status in southwest Florida.

“There was so much rain to pour,” Alecci said. “And while he hit Fort Myers as a Category 4, almost even a Category 5, that’s a lot of wind momentum and rotations. So he needs to calm down.”

Ian had a lot of strength and power as he crossed the Florida peninsula, but it was what happened on the other side of the peninsula that created an ill effect.

“It’s starting to bring all that moisture from the Atlantic back to shore,” Alecci said. “So you also have storm surge issues up there. As the storm surge moves up the coast, most rivers and most drainage systems flow out to the ocean. While the ocean is piling up against these pipes, it just can’t flow out.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that central Florida is experiencing “a 500-year flood” during a press conference Thursday.