September 28, 2022 Hurricane Ian updates | CNN

September 28, 2022 Hurricane Ian updates

Adrienne Vogt Aditi Sangal Meg Wagner
By Adrienne Vogt, Elise Hammond, Aditi Sangal, Mike Hayes, Maureen Chowdhury, Seán Federico-O'Murchú and Meg Wagner, CNN
Updated 1:52 AM EDT, Thu September 29, 2022
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Tampa Bay drained of water by Hurricane Ian
1:01 • Source: CNN
derek van dam hurricane ian 1
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What we're covering

  • The latest: Hurricane Ian made landfall along the southwestern coast of Florida near Cayo Costa as a powerful Category 4 storm. It’s one of the strongest hurricanes to make landfall on the west coast of the Florida peninsula.
  • The extremely dangerous conditions that this hurricane is unleashing — including catastrophic floods and life-threatening storm surge — will continue as the storm advances inland. Some areas could see the worst surge forecast on record.
  • Tracking Ian: You can track the storm’s path here or sign up for email alerts from CNN meteorologists here.
  • In the storm’s path? Bookmark CNN’s lite site for fast connectivity. Sigue nuestra cobertura en vivo en español aquí.

CNN’s live coverage of Hurricane Ian can be found here.

Updates

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Jacksonville International Airport cancels all flights Thursday

From CNN's Dave Alsup

All flights through Jacksonville International Airport are canceled Thursday and the terminal is closed, the airport announced in a tweet.

JAX joins Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport in discontinuing flights due to Hurricane Ian.

The Tampa airport announced that no flights would depart from the airstrip Thursday and has not provided a reopening date. Orlando International said in a Wednesday update that its commercial operations are “expected to resume sometime Friday.”

Photo shows damage to theatre in Venice, Florida

From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe and Amy Simonson
Damage to Venice Theater is seen on September 28.
Damage to Venice Theater is seen on September 28.
(City of Venice, Florida)

The city of Venice, Florida, posted a picture of the storm damage to its award-winning Venice Theatre, which has operated since the 1950s, according to the theatre website.

The performing arts facility hosts two stages, a 432-seat main venue and a 90-seat theatre.

The theatre canceled show performances, rehearsals and classes through Thursday due to the storm, according to its website.

"We will hunt you down," sheriff says to those thinking of looting during storm

From CNN’s Amy Simonson
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno speaks during a press conference about Hurricane Ian preparations on Monday, Sept 26.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno speaks during a press conference about Hurricane Ian preparations on Monday, Sept 26.
(Amanda Inscore/The News-Press USA Today Network)

Any individual who is thinking of looting a business or residence will be caught by police and sent to jail, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno warned Wednesday night.

An incident of someone trying to loot a gas station was reported and police will not tolerate such behavior, the sheriff said.

Calls are also coming in for people to rescue them, but officers will not be able to go out until the winds die down to less than 45 mph, Marceno said.

Reports are coming in of damaged buildings as well as vehicles floating to the ocean, but until deputies can get out to assess they are unable to give specific details, he said.

Officials are asking residents to stay off the roadways in the meantime, he said.

Sarasota first responders will clear emergency routes once winds decrease to under 45 mph

From CNN’s Amy Simonson

Once winds decrease to under 45 mph, Sarasota County’s Tactical First-In teams will begin clearing emergency routes so that authorized staff can begin conducting damage assessments, the county said in a statement.

Residents are urged to stay off the roadways until local officials say they are clear.

Sarasota schools are also closed through Friday and schools will be assessed for any damage, the county said in a separate statement.

Charlotte County hopes to start answering emergency calls Thursday morning, official says

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch

Emergency crews in Charlotte County are not able to respond to 911 calls due to dangerous storm conditions, the county emergency director told CNN.

Overnight damage and storm surge levels are still unclear, but the department hopes to resume emergency services Thursday morning, Fuller said.

The majority of the county is without power, Fuller said.  

Hurricane Ian weakens to a Category 1 storm

From CNN's Taylor Ward

Hurricane Ian has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane as it moves across central Florida, the National Hurricane Center said late Wednesday. The storm’s sustained winds are down to 90 mph. 

Ian is now centered about 70 miles south of Orlando. East-central Florida, including Orlando, is also under a tornado watch through 1 a.m. ET Thursday.

Overnight, widespread tropical storm-force winds with gusts above hurricane force will continue to impact central Florida, the hurricane center said. 

The storm will also bring a continued threat of heavy rain into Thursday.

“Widespread, life-threatening catastrophic flooding, with major to record river flooding, will continue across portions of central Florida tonight,” the hurricane center said, also warning of “considerable flooding in northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina” through the end of the week.

More than a foot of rainfall has been recorded in some areas, preliminary totals show

From CNN's Gene Norman

As Hurricane Ian continues to cross the Florida peninsula, some areas are reporting more than a foot of rainfall. Here are some preliminary rainfall totals from Ian, as reported by the National Weather Service in Tampa as of Wednesday night:

  • Lehigh Acres – 14.42”
  • Warm Mineral Springs – 11.05”
  • Ding Darling – 8.71”
  • Frostproof – 8.34”
  • North Port – 8.24”

Roof of ICU in hospital housing 160 patients blew off mid-storm, doctor says

From CNN’s Jamiel Lynch
In a photo provided by Dr. Birgit Bodine shows a staff member standing in a flooded hallway at HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 28.
In a photo provided by Dr. Birgit Bodine shows a staff member standing in a flooded hallway at HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 28.
(Dr. Birgit Bodine/AP)

The roof above an ICU at a hospital in Port Charlotte was torn off by the storm, Dr. Birgit Bodine, an internal medicine specialist at the facility, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

The staff worked together to move patients to a safe place but they can’t evacuate yet because of the conditions outside, the doctor said. Some rooms that are built for two people are now housing three and four patients, she said.

They hope to be able to evacuate patients in the morning, she said.

While the air conditioner is not working, the hospital is running on backup generators and all other vital systems are working, Bodine said.

More than 2 million customers are without power across Florida

From CNN's Virginia Langmaid

More than 2 million energy customers were in the dark Wednesday night, according to the tracker PowerOutage.us.

In the hardest-hit southwestern region, 10 counties reported that more than 50% of tracked customers were without power.

Eight more counties in southwest, central and northeast Florida reported more than 10,000 customers had no electricity.

Fort Myers is almost entirely without power as some remain trapped in their homes, mayor says

From CNN’s Amy Simonson
Guests look out of hotel windows as Hurricane Ian has made landfall in Fort Myers, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Guests look out of hotel windows as Hurricane Ian has made landfall in Fort Myers, Florida, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
(Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Approximately 96 percent of Fort Myers is without electricity as thousands occupy the city’s shelters and some residents are unable to evacuate their homes, according to the city’s mayor.

The city’s downtown streets were flooded with almost four feet of water Wednesday, with flooding so high that it could be seen covering a fire hydrant, Mayor Kevin Anderson told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. Every business in the core of downtown was impacted, the mayor said.

The water level has begun to subside and Anderson urged people to stay indoors. Help will be sent for those still trapped in their homes as soon as it is safe to do so, he said.

“There’s no telling what’s in those waters, they are not safe,” he said.

The mayor said that if people have a medical emergency they should still call 911, and emergency personnel may be able to provide guidance over the phone.

Comcast opens free Wi-Fi hotspots for those impacted by storm

From CNN’s Amanda Musa

Comcast has opened a network of more than 200,000 public Xfinity WiFi hotspots throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to help individuals stay connected during Hurricane Ian, according to the company’s website.

The hotspots are free for anyone to use, including non-Xfinity customers, the company says. About 90,000 of the hotspots are in Florida.

To find out how to get connected, visit the company’s website.

Tampa police department shows traffic light crashing down in front of its car

The Tampa Police Department is urging people to stay off the roads while Hurricane Ian is still ushering in high winds and rain.

It posted a video on Twitter on Wednesday of a traffic light falling in front of its car in Ybor City, Florida.

The video also showed debris on the roads and downed trees. The police department also said there were live wires on the ground.

Watch the video:

Naples police had to rescue paddleboarders — and mayor is telling residents to stay indoors for now

From CNN's Amanda Musa
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann speaks with CNN on Wednesday September 28.
Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann speaks with CNN on Wednesday September 28.
(CNN)

Naples Mayor Teresa Heitmann is asking residents to stay inside after several people had to be rescued Wednesday from floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Ian.

“We just had some citizens that were out on paddle boards or thought they could swim,” Heitmann told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. The fire department had to rescue them, she said.

 Instead of “entertainment,” Heitmann said residents needed to hunker down.

Heitmann added that officials will likely open the city back up Thursday morning as law enforcement and the city manager head out to assess the situation.

1.9 million customers in Florida experiencing power outages Wednesday night

From CNN's Joe Sutton

More people on the west coast of Florida are without power Wednesday night after Hurricane Ian ripped through the region.

More than 1.9 million customers are experiencing outages, according to PowerOutage.us.

Some of the hardest-hit counties include DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee, Hardee and Sarasota counties.

Jacksonville beaches are closed until further notice, mayor says

From CNN's Jamiel Lynch

Beaches in the Jacksonville, Florida, are closed due to the impact of Hurricane Ian, Mayor Lenny Curry said in a tweet.

“I’ve been in constant contact with the Mayor’s of Atlantic, Neptune and Jacksonville Beach preparing for impacts from Hurricane Ian. At this time, we are closing all three beaches to the public until further notice. We will reopen as soon as it’s safe for citizens,” the mayor said. 

East Naples deputies completed 30 rescue missions Wednesday, county sheriff says

From CNN’s Amy Simonson

Sheriff’s deputies in East Naples, Florida, completed 30 rescue missions Wednesday and are still helping people after the life-threatening storm surge brought by Hurricane Ian, authorities said. 

A statement from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office said public safety officials are taking people to shelters.

“Our East Naples deputies did 30 rescue missions today. We are still collecting numbers from other areas. We are still rescuing people,” the statement said.

The sheriff’s office said many residents are without power, internet and cable. Officials will have a better idea of the “extent of damage” on Thursday, the statement said.

Storm surge in western Florida has likely peaked but water levels remain high, specialist says

From CNN's Taylor Ward
A flooded Gulfshore Boulevard is seen in Naples, Florida on September 28.
A flooded Gulfshore Boulevard is seen in Naples, Florida on September 28.
(City of Naples)

 As Hurricane Ian moves across Florida, the storm surge along the west coast is beginning to recede, according to Cody Fritz, a storm surge specialist at the National Hurricane Center.

However, Fritz warned that water levels are still high and will take some time to recede. 

“There’s still plenty of onshore flow along the coast keeping water levels elevated, so while the peak surge values will decrease here relative to previous value, I still expect waters to be up for a while and the need to maintain the storm surge warnings.”

Hurricane Ian weakens to Category 2

From CNN's Gene Norman

Hurricane Ian is now a Category 2 hurricane with maximum winds of 105 mph, moving northeast at 8 mph, according to the 9 p.m. ET update from the National Hurricane Center.

The center of the storm is 85 miles southwest of Orlando, Florida. At 8 p.m. ET, the Punta Gorda airport measured a gust of 109 mph.

Fort Myers fire chief says emergency crews will get to residents as soon as possible

From CNN's Amanda Musa
Tracy McMillion, fire chief with the Fort Myers Fire Department, speaks with CNN on Wednesday.
Tracy McMillion, fire chief with the Fort Myers Fire Department, speaks with CNN on Wednesday.
(CNN)

Tracy McMillion, fire chief with the Fort Myers Fire Department, said emergency responders plan to get to residents as soon as possible. 

When asked if he has a message for the people of Fort Myers, McMillion told CNN’s Anderson Cooper:

Meanwhile, McMillion said he is hopeful that water will start to recede in the next few hours.

“High tide is actually starting to roll back into our Caloosahatchee River,” McMillion said. “We’re hopeful that will take the storm surge back with it and we will actually be able to get out and make some more pushes to start getting to our residents that we’ve actually for the last six to seven hours we have been actually waiting to get to.”

Meanwhile, Fort Myers Emergency Operations Center has lost power along with its backup generator, McMillion said.

“In our EOC… we’re actually flying blind here. But we got some great first responders and we have great backups and contingency plans.”

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