NAPLES, Fla. – As Hurricane Ian neared landfall Wednesday on Florida’s Gulf Coast, streets in downtown Naples were flooded.
Ian approached Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, producing severe storm surge and winds, and later reached land at Cayo Costa on the southwest coast.
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Video from Marco Island shows storm surge and water coming up to the back of homes prior to landfall.
Live cameras in Sanibel Island showed streets being slammed by high winds and flooding as the eyewall of Ian was reported to be moving ashore at Sanibel and the neighboring island of Captiva.
Video from the Naples Fire-Rescue Department shows a power line that went down near Tin City Waterfront Shops and sparked a fire.
Air Force hurricane hunters confirmed Ian gained strength over warm Gulf of Mexico water after battering Cuba, bringing down the country’s electricity grid and leaving the entire island without power. Ian was centered about 60 miles (95 kilometers) west-southwest of Naples at 10 a.m., swirling toward the coast at 10 mph (17 kph).
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