Hurricane Ian — One Year Later: Everything changes
Hurricane Ian slams into Southwest Florida
The third-costliest hurricane in United States history directly impacted Southwest Florida one year ago, forever changing the lives, and landscape, that so many call home.
Arriving as a high-end Category 4 storm with sustained wind gusts over 150 mph, Hurricane Ian is a storm that will never be forgotten by those who experienced its power. The system spanned more than 500 miles wide and was the most substantial storm to ever hit the Southwest Florida.
After evolving into a tropical storm on Sept. 21, by the time Ian had arrived to the Gulf side of Florida, it had increased to a Category 4 level storm, and even reached Category 5 criteria before making landfall just below peak strength.
Originally forecasted to impact further north along the coast, Ian had other plans and veered right towards Southwest Florida, officially arriving on Sept. 28.
When the wind and rain subsided, thousands of homes, and lives, were lost.
Ultimately, Ian resulted in 161 fatalities, 150 of which were in Florida with more than 70 occurring in Lee County, far and away the deadliest county for Ian.
Barrier Islands were underwater, bridges were collapsing, roofs were being ripped off like an old Band-Aid.
Lee County officials report the total estimated cost of the storm sits at $297.3 million, with the majority of costs associated with debris removal, solid waste, and emergency protective measures.
Since the storm, 6.29 million cubic yards of debris has been collected throughout the county, to go along with 3.83 million in vegetation, 2.3 million in construction and demolition debris, 36,000 cubic yards of concrete and 145,000 cubic yards of dirty sand.
The county and its residents have worked relentlessly to get back on its feet and restore some sense of normalcy to everyday life. Throughout the county, 101 parks are now open, with three being partially open and nine having to close.
While Ian will never be forgotten, residents around Southwest Florida hope to never face anything like it again.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com