Hurricane Ian Hits Florida, Newscasters Brave Extreme Elements From the Frontline (Video Roundup)
Hurricane Ian has made landfall in the state of Florida today, and many news outlets — local and national — have been going the extra mile to produce snapshots of exactly what it’s looking like.
Spectrum News reporter Zach Covey shared the details of the storm’s landfall, which occurred at 3:05 p.m. ET.
BREAKING | Hurricane #Ian makes landfall as an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane near Cayo Costa, Florida. It made landfall at 3:05 p.m. #FLwx #tropics pic.twitter.com/y3lAjxTxlt
— Zach Covey (@ZachCoveyTV) September 28, 2022
“This is the EXACT same location where Hurricane Charley made landfall as a Category 4 storm back in 2004,” wrote FOX4KC Meteorologist Jacob Lanier.
Flooding, rapid force winds, a varying degrees of destruction have been caught on camera by CNN, The Weather Channel and other national and local outlets – not to mention firsthand accounts shared across Twitter Wednesday afternoon.
CNN’s Bill Weir reported from Punta Gorda as the storm approaches Florida’s southwest coast.
“The storm is going to hurt,” Weir said in a clip posted to Twitter. “All you can do is just hope for minimum, minimum, blood sweat and tears.”
“This storm is going to hurt. All you can do is just hope for minimum, minimum, blood sweat and tears.”@BillWeirCNN reports from Punta Gorda as Hurricane Ian approaches the southwest Florida coast.
Live updates: https://t.co/6kBkH1vvxx pic.twitter.com/tI7OQSlAhS— CNN (@CNN) September 28, 2022
Scott Sabol, Meteorologist at Fox 8 WJW, highlighted a time-lapse video of the destructive storm surge onto Sanibel Island posted by one user who gathers weather highlights from a live camera Google Map.
Here is a time-lapse of the #StormSurge coming in on Sanibel Island, #Florida caught on a live traffic cam. This was only 30mins condensed down, it deteriorated quickly.
#HurricaneIan#Hurricane#Ianpic.twitter.com/JKuNROvMm4
— BirdingPeepWx (@BirdingPeepWx) September 28, 2022
Hurricane hunter Nick Underwood shared footage from inside his flight into the storm, describing it as the roughest flight of his career by far, writing, “I have never felt such lateral motion.”
When I say this was the roughest flight of my career so far, I mean it. I have never seen the bunks come out like that. There was coffee everywhere. I have never felt such lateral motion.
Aboard Kermit (#NOAA42) this morning into Hurricane #Ian. Please stay safe out there. https://t.co/DQwqBwAE6v pic.twitter.com/gvV7WUJ6aS— Tropical Nick Underwood (@TheAstroNick) September 28, 2022
According to The Miami Herald, nearly 2.5 million people in the evacuation zones along the hurricane’s path have evacuated, but at least 31 people on an unidentified barrier island in Charlotte County have remained to shelter in place.
Other news stations have pointed out lighthearted aspects of the hurricane’s hitting of Florida, comparing light flashes to the arrival of the transformers, checking The Waffle House index (whether or not the breakfast chain remains open indicates where evacuations are most dire) and more.
Brian Stelter, meanwhile, shared that The Weather Channel’s in-studio meteorologist told colleague Jim Cantore to “stop his live report and seek cover because it’s so dangerous to be outside in Punta Gorda.”
Meteorologist on The Weather Channel tells @JimCantore to stop his live report and seek cover because it's so dangerous to be outside in Punta Gorda.
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 28, 2022
Read on and scroll down for more coverage of Hurricane Ian and its impact and aftermath on Florida.
Jim Cantore literally hit by a flying tree branch during a live report. Please get this man off the street. pic.twitter.com/D6UOizGArc
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 28, 2022
We're officially in the thick of things.
Our coverage of #Ian continues on The Weather Channel. @mikeseidel gives an update from Fort Myers, Florida: pic.twitter.com/8PKjGLBKZz— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 28, 2022
Our field correspondent Travis King is in Sarasota as #Ian continues to bear down and made landfall to the south. This means that Travis will be dealing with mostly the outer rain bands but not the eye of the storm. pic.twitter.com/s4z6leQs1N
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) September 28, 2022
Hurricane Ian has made landfall in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa as a Category 4 storm.https://t.co/Ha2Qqlm3ZA
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 28, 2022
Personal note – I've been through many a storm. This is the first time I've heard THUNDER with a hurricane. I'm hearing consistent thunder in Orlando with the first significant outer band that is approaching the area. Wind gusts expected to reach up to 60 in this band. #FLwx #Ian pic.twitter.com/AAkTplSBQO
— Zach Covey (@ZachCoveyTV) September 28, 2022
A rare HIGH WIND WARNING is in effect for Lee, Charlotte, Desoto, & Sarasota counties until 6pm ET as Hurricane #Ian makes landfall. Extreme winds now along I-75 at the Peace River in Punta Gorda, Florida where winds have gusted over 105mph so far. #FLwx #HurricaneIan pic.twitter.com/6aG20t1NGu
— Jacob Lanier (@JacobLanierWx) September 28, 2022
My goodness! Look at the intense winds from #HurricaneIan on the N 75 at US17 live traffic cam just now in Punta Gorda, #Florida! #Hurricane #Ian pic.twitter.com/t8E246Jjp0
— BirdingPeepWx (@BirdingPeepWx) September 28, 2022
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