On September 28, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. slammed into Florida. Hurricane Ian made landfall with winds of 150 miles per hour. The storm tore a path of destruction through the state over the next two days before continuing on to South Carolina and North Carolina.
Ian brought heavy rains and widespread flooding. Storm surges along coastal areas of Florida reached as high as 14 feet. The storm dumped more than 12 inches of rain on Orlando, Florida, in a single day.
The hurricane caused more than 130 deaths. Thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed across the region. Hundreds of thousands of people had to evacuate, and more than 5 million households lost electricity.