As Hurricane Ian makes its way into Florida within the coming hours on Wednesday, the storm surge is already revealing the severity of the Category 4 storm.
A camera from The Weather Channel in Ft. Myers, Florida, was able to visibly show the area around it prior to the surge, but it is now completely submerged underwater despite it being positioned six-feet high.
The flooding could rise up to 18 feet high in some areas, which will certainly cause a significant amount of damage to property. This camera shot gives greater context to the flooding in Ft. Myers.
The storm surge is just one component of the storm, as winds could be up to 155 mph, according to The Weather Channel.
As of 2 p.m. EDT, Hurricane Ian is “very near the coast of southwestern Florida Peninsula,” the National Hurricane Center tweeted. There is a hurricane warning in place for West Central Florida, as millions have evacuated the region in anticipation of the extreme weather.
“#HurricaneIan is making landfall now. Florida is ready to respond. We have fleets of highwater vehicles, 42,000 linemen, 7,000 National Guardsmen and 179 aircraft prepared to help,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted Wednesday afternoon.