Hurricane Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm on Florida's southwest coast on Wednesday afternoon, sweeping away homes and communities. Fort Myers Beach, a coastal city on a barrier island, was among the areas hardest hit, with storm surges nearly reaching the roofs of some houses.

Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in September 2022, inflicted its most catastrophic and concentrated destruction on Southwest Florida, specifically within Lee County. The barrier islands of Sanibel, Captiva, and Fort Myers Beach bore the brunt of the storm's 150 mph sustained winds and a record-breaking storm surge that reached up to 15 feet in some areas. Fort Myers Beach was effectively leveled, with nearly every structure along the coastline sustaining major damage or being completely swept away. The Sanibel Causeway, the only land link to Sanibel Island, collapsed in multiple sections, severing access for weeks. Beyond the coast, the cities of Fort Myers and Cape Coral experienced widespread structural failure and massive inland flooding. Even as of early 2026, the recovery process remains a multi-year endeavor, with many iconic landmarks still being rebuilt. The storm remains one of the costliest in U.S. history, fundamentally altering the geography and building codes of Florida's Gulf Coast.