Stunning Photos Show Hurricane Ian's Destructive Aftermath
A man takes photos of boats wrecked by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers on Thursday. (Photo: GIORGIO VIERA via Getty Images)
Extremely dangerous conditions persist in Florida as Hurricane Ian, now a tropical storm, moved north up the Atlantic coast, leaving a trail of destruction.
Ian dropped anywhere from 6 inches to 20 inches of rain across central Florida, with peak wind gusts of 140 mph recorded in Cape Coral, near where it made landfall Wednesday as a Category 4 monster.
As search and rescue efforts ramp up, the death toll remained unclear. Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told “Good Morning America” the fatalities are likely “in the hundreds,” but his office was unable to confirm the number to HuffPost and Gov. Ron DeSantis said it was “an estimate” based on 911 calls from stranded residents.
More than 2.6 million people were without power in the state, according to PowerOutage.us, and it will take time for that to be fully restored.
“We’ve already restored about three-quarters of a million customers, but clearly the more impacted areas near Naples and Fort Myers will take longer,” Peter Robbins, a spokesperson for Florida Power and Light, told CNN. “We won’t stop until every last person is on, but I know our customers are going to need some patience.”
See the latest photos below.
Vehicles drive through standing water left in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 30 in Port Charlotte. (Photo: Win McNamee via Getty Images)
A man walks into a flooded street to check on his mother in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 29 in Orlando. (Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In this aerial view, vehicles line up to purchase gasoline in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Sept. 30 in Port Charlotte. (Photo: Win McNamee via Getty Images)
Vehicles float in the water after Hurricane Ian on Sept. 29 in Bonita Springs. (Photo: Sean Rayford via Getty Images)
Washed-up boats and destruction at Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29. (Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images)
A woman walks through her Fort Myers neighborhood Thursday on a flooded street in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. (Photo: GIORGIO VIERA via Getty Images)
A damaged causeway to Sanibel Island is seen on Sept. 29. (Photo: Wilfredo Lee via AP)
Commercial businesses are seen Thursday in the wake of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers Beach. (Photo: Wilfredo Lee via AP)
Jake Moses, 19, and Heather Jones, 18, of Fort Myers, explore a section of destroyed businesses at Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29. (Photo: Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/AP)
Damaged homes and businesses are seen in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29. (Photo: Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/AP)
Remnants of damaged homes and flooded vehicles are seen in Fort Myers Beach on Sept. 29, 2022. (Photo: Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
This aerial photo shows damaged homes and debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, in Fort Myers. (Photo: via Associated Press)
Vehicles make their way through a flooded area after Hurricane Ian passed through on Sept. 29, in Fort Myers. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Residents of mobile homes clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, in Fort Myers on Sept. 29. (Photo: GIORGIO VIERA via Getty Images)
People embrace as they survey property damage in Bonita Springs on Sept. 29. (Photo: Sean Rayford via Getty Images)
A man tries to ride bike in the flooding in Fort Myers on Sept. 29. (Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A view of flooded and damaged area aftermath of hurricane in a neighborhood in Fort Myers on Sept. 29. (Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A commercial sign lies in the street after being toppled by the winds and rain from Hurricane Ian on Thursday in Bartow. (Photo: Gerardo Mora via Getty Images)
Tom Park begins cleaning up Thursday after Hurricane Ian moved through Punta Gorda. (Photo: Win McNamee via Getty Images)
In this aerial view, damaged homes are seen Thursday after Hurricane Ian moved through the Gulf Coast of Florida in Punta Gorda. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Brenda Brennan sits next to a boat Thursday that pushed against her apartment when Hurricane Ian passed through the Fort Myers area. (Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images)
Stedi Scuderi looks over her apartment after floodwater inundated it when Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Sept. 29, in Fort Myers. (Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images)
Residents inspect damage to a marina as boats are partially submerged in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, on Sept. 29. (Photo: GIORGIO VIERA via Getty Images)
Stefanie Karas stands in her apartment after floodwater inundated it when Hurricane Ian passed through the area on Thursday in Fort Myers. (Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images)
A section of the causeway leading to Sanibel, in Lee County, was knocked out by Hurricane Ian on Thursday. (Photo: Associated Press)
Orange County Fire Rescue's firefighters help people stranded by Hurricane Ian early Thursday. (Photo: Orange County Fire Rescue's Public Information Office via AP)
Damaged boats are seen after Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction in Fort Myers on Thursday. (Photo: Marco Bello via Reuters)
Shawn Hulbert, 38, stands outside his damaged home in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in Punta Gorda on Thursday. (Photo: Shannon Stapleton via Reuters)
Vehicles sit in floodwater at the Palm Isle apartments in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Thursday in Orlando. (Photo: John Raoux/Associated Press)
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
