Intrepid weather forecasters brave full force of Hurricane Ian amid 155 mph winds
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Many weather forecasters step out for the story by going outside during Hurricane Ian as part of a storied tradition of fearless weathermen and women who brave the conditions for good cover.
The devastating hurricane could potentially become a Category 5 storm if it hits Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis warned, but that didn’t stop these forecasters from walking straight into it.
A weatherman, Jim Cantore of BNO news, was nearly blown away by the high winds as he covered the storm.
“I can’t get up,” Cantore said as the hurricane force forced him to hang himself from a street sign to avoid being knocked over by the wind.
A weather forecaster for CNN is on the water in St. Petersburg, Florida, just hours before Hurricane Ian started producing large, unpredictable waves
The weather got visibly worse during the hours the forecasters stayed in St. Petersburg, with rain eventually blocking out much of the newscaster
St. Pete Beach bay in St. Petersburg, Florida is seen here as strong winds from the hurricane whip up the water
Debris litters a street in a St. Pete Beach neighborhood as Hurricane Ian winds hit St. Petersburg on Sept. 28, 2022
Another reporter for CNN was posted in the west coast town of Punta Gorda, as Florida universities and colleges also closed their doors in an effort to protect students from the storm.
Videos from the city showed that the wind was strong enough to blow over street signs and rain blown almost sideways by the wind.
The wind is so strong that sturdy palm trees shatter and scatter along the streets, just one of the many reasons Florida residents are encouraged to stay indoors.
“Mother Nature is a very formidable adversary, please pay attention to those evacuation warnings. You could see power outages, inland flooding, and various types of tree damage from wind, so be prepared for that,” Governor Ron DeSantis said.
Officials have warned the storm surge could reach 18 feet, with deadly winds and flooding along the state’s densely populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region — with rainfall up to 18 inches.
A wave of up to 3 feet of ocean water and 10 inches of rain is predicted to drench the Tampa Bay area, with as much as 15 inches in remote areas — enough water to inundate coastal communities.
A CNN reporter in stormy Punta Gorda braves deteriorating conditions on Florida’s west coast as Hurricane Ian hits
A lone car drives on US Road 17 before Hurricane Ian, in Punta Gorda, Florida on September 28, 2022 amid blinding rain
A hurricane evacuation route sign in Punta Gorda is displayed as Hurricane Ian turns to state with high winds and dangerous storm surges
Storm surge outside a second-floor window on Florida’s For Myers Beach as terrifying storm surges threaten residents’ homes
FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell emphasized the danger of storm surge and said it was the agency’s “greatest concern.”
“If people are told to evacuate by their local officials, listen to them. The decision you make can be the difference between life and death,” she said.
A CBS weather forecaster was posted in Florida’s largest city, Miami, and stood outside the state’s signature palm trees as the rain pelted her and the news crew.
The Pentagon said 3,200 National Guardsmen had been called up in Florida, and another 1,800 later.
Authorities in several municipalities, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, distributed free sandbags to help residents protect their homes from flooding.
Terrified residents have also desperately dug huge ditches to divert floodwater from their homes, while others have cleared supermarket shelves of water and supplies.
Schools in 26 Florida counties have announced they will be closed as more than a million homes along Florida’s west coast are at risk of storm surge damage from Hurricane Ian.
A storm surge in Fort Myers, Florida as Hurricane Ian approaches. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell highlighted the danger of a storm surge and said it was the agency’s ‘greatest concern’
A weather forecaster for CBS in Miami reports on the historic storm as the Pentagon dispatched 3,200 National Guardsmen to the state
A man walks his dog during a torrential downpour, Tuesday, September 27, 2022, in Miami Beach, Florida
A Fox News weatherman reports from Charlotte County, where emergency calls have been suspended due to the horrific weather
A Fox News weather forecaster came to the state and tracked the storm in Charlotte County donning thick glasses and a long raincoat as he challenged the hurricane.
Charlotte County Fire & EMS has suspended emergency calls for service due to hazardous weather conditions.
DeSantis told people in Collier, Charlotte and Sarasota counties it was “too late” to leave and urged anyone still on the road to get to a “safe place” as soon as possible.
Charlotte Harbor is bracing for the brunt of the water levels and could see between 12 and 18 feet of storm surge as the eyewall continues to move across the state.
Robert Ray, a weather correspondent for Fox News, steps out on the slowly flooding street in Forty Myers, where storm surges over 10 feet have been reported
A Florida weather forecaster braces itself as winds, which are recorded at speeds over 150 mp, threaten to wipe them out
Photos show water retreating from Tampa Bay, due to the hurricane’s movement, as the same phenomenon occurred just before Hurricane Irma hit
Planes at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines were turned over by a tornado as several tropical storm warnings were in effect statewide
Charlotte Harbor braces itself for the brunt of water levels and can see between 12 ft to 18 ft storm surge as the eyewall continues to move across the state