Hurricane Ian hits Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm

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Hurricane Ian.
(Image credit: Illustrated | AP Images, Getty Images)

Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwestern Florida on Wednesday afternoon as a Category 4 storm. This powerful tempest crashed into the coast with winds of 150 mph, and is tied for fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the United States. The storm caused extensive flooding and dangerous storm surge, with residents sharing videos on social media showing everything from water rushing into their homes to fires sparked by downed power lines. The federal government sent millions of meals and liters of water to Florida to distribute once Ian has passed, and President Biden promised to "help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again. And we'll be there every step of the way. That's my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida."

This article is being updated with the latest news and information on Hurricane Ian. All times are Eastern.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.