VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2

NOVEMBER 2022

Hurricane Ian Causes Devastating Effects

By Jane Clare Bosher and Leah Winder

Ripping homes from their foundations, knocking out power, and killing dozens, Hurricane Ian, the ninth storm of the 2022 hurricane season, roared through the Caribbean and the southeastern coast of the United States in late September. Ian hit Cuba, Florida, South and North Carolina, and Virginia, leaving a trail of destruction. Ian also affected over 100,000 houses, causing many to completely collapse. So far, over 100 people have been reported dead due to the hurricane. 

Ian first formed as a tropical storm in the central Caribbean on September 3, 2022 and strengthened into a hurricane three days later. On September 27, Ian made landfall in Cuba as a category 3 storm, with maximum wind speeds of 115 mph. Ian tore through the island, leaving massive wreckage in its wake. The violent flooding and winds caused destruction to agriculture, infrastructure, telecommunications, housing, electricity, and the lives of people in six of the country’s sixteen territories. Ian overwhelmed Cuba’s power grid, leaving Cubans without power for three full days. 

On September 28, a day after first hitting Cuba, Ian struck the west coast of Florida as a category 4 hurricane with maximum wind speeds of 155 mph, only two miles per hour away from achieving category 5 status. Ian became the fifth strongest hurricane to hit the United States and the second strongest in this century, after Hurricane Katrina. Ian almost completely destroyed the western Floridian coast with its extreme winds and devastating floods. Many homes were torn from their foundations and coastal businesses became shredded remains alongside demolished boats and docks. Wreckage was thrown everywhere, leaving the beaches littered with debris. The road into Fort Myers was strewn with fallen trees, lost boats, and any other wreckage carried by the storm’s winds.

Several Floridian islands, including Sanibel Island and Captiva, were cut off from the mainland. While ravaging the coast of Florida, Hurricane Ian swept away a section of the Sanibel Causeway which connected the mainland to these islands, leaving the residents unable to cross onto the Florida shore by ground vehicles.

After passing through Florida, Ian weakened to a tropical storm, but soon strengthened to a category 1 hurricane before it struck the South Carolina coast. A hurricane warning was issued, extending from the South Carolina coast all the way up to Cape Fear in North Carolina. Almost 8 inches of rainfall afflicted this area and threatened South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia with dangerous flooding. 

Many American residents, mainly in Florida, still rely on aid from organizations, such as the Red Cross, for shelter, clean water, and food. Due to the hurricane, there have been over 47 billion dollars in insurance losses, as 11,000 houses in Florida were either completely destroyed or severely damaged. Some were stranded in their flooded homes, unable to call for help, but hopefully, emergency services will continue to aid those in need.

Scientists attribute the strength of this and other storms to climate change. Kerry Emmanuel, an MIT atmospheric scientist, said, “This business about very, very heavy rain is something we’ve expected to see because of climate change.” Unfortunately, there may be more hurricanes like Ian which will cause even more destruction in the future.

Information from AP News, National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, World Vision, Global Giving, Relief Web, and ABC News.