Florida Braces as Hurricane Ian Slams Ashore

Abstract

Hurricane Ian is expected to reach northern Florida and southern Georgia early on Sept. 30. The slow-moving storm is bringing threats of flooding across Florida to as far away as North Carolina. As of 11 a.m. Sept. 28, the National Weather Service forecast a “catastrophic storm surge’s 12-18 ft above ground level with destructive waves along the southwest Florida coastline from Englewood to Bonita Beach. Wind damage also is forecast to be catastrophic along the southwestern coast. The storm could be catastrophic. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has virtually completed a $1.6 billion rehabilitation of the dike over the past 15 years.