The eyewall of Hurricane Ian barrelled onshore in Florida at 11am on Wednesday as forecasters warned that some places on the west coast could see “unsurviveable” storm surge.
Destructive waves are expected along the southwest coast from Englewood to Bonita Beach including Charlotte Harbor, near the town of Punta Gorda, north of Fort Myers.
Peak storm surge forecasts were increased on Wednesday with up to 18 feet projected along an 80-mile stretch from Englewood to Bonita.
Authorities warned people to stay off the roads and shelter in place if they had not already evacuated.
Eight million people were in the bullseye of Hurricane Ian as the storm strengthened to just shy of a monstrous Category 5 status on Wednesday morning amid imminent landfall.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that the hurricane was “knocking on the door of a Category 5” and described it as the “real deal”, urging residents to “hunker down”.
