Hurricane Ian: 5 Things To Know As Storm Hammers Florida

FLORIDA — Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm packing 155 mph winds, making it one of the five most powerful storms to ever hit Florida shores. One death has been confirmed, but an official worried there would be hundreds of fatalities.

Stay up-to-date by viewing all Hurricane Ian coverage on Patch here.

Millions were ordered to evacuate their homes, and over 2.6 million people were without power after the hurricane slammed into Florida near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of Fort Myers. By Thursday morning, Ian was a tropical storm with 70 mph winds and was moving to the east coast at 8 mph.

A 72-year-old man was found dead early Thursday in water in a canal behind his home in Deltona near Daytona Beach, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said, The Associated Press reported. The man appeared to be using a hose to drain his pool into the wide canal and fell down an incline that was “extremely soft and slippery due to the heavy rain.”

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that his office was receiving thousands of 911 calls from people needing rescue in the county that includes Fort Myers, but roadways were still impassable and bridges are compromised. Marceno worried there will be hundreds more deaths in the wake of the storm, AP said.

Part of the Sanibel Causeway fell into the sea, cutting off access to the barrier island where 6,300 people normally live. Officials don't know how many ignored mandatory evacuation orders and left the island ahead of the hurricane.

As Floridians rode out the storm and wait for flooding to subside, here are five things about Hurricane Ian you may not have known:

Flooding Vs. Storm Surge

While much has been said about the historic storm surge that Hurricane Ian is expected to cause, some Floridians aren’t sure if it’s the same as flooding.

Storm surge is a type of flooding and one of the two main causes of flooding — the other is heavy rain — during a hurricane, according to The Washington Post. While flooding generally happens near bodies of water, it can also occur in low-lying areas during a hurricane.

During hurricanes, storm surge, an abnormal rise in displaced water that is greater than the predicted tides, is usually considered the greatest threat to life and property along the coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Storm surge usually occurs when strong winds push water to the shore, although low pressure can sometimes also drive a surge, the agency said.

The maximum potential storm surge varies by location and can be affected by a number of factors, including storm intensity, forward speed, size, the angle it approaches the coast, central pressure, as well as the width and slope of the shoreline’s continental shelf, the NHC said.

A wide and shallow continental shelf has a greater potential for a greater storm surge.

Waffle House Index

It might sound like a joke at first, but the Waffle House Index, a term coined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is real.

The diner prides itself on being open 24/7 and rarely closes, so it’s often used as an informal barometer for how communities handle crises. In fact, FEMA has relied on this index since 2004.

Code Green means that the restaurant is open and serving its full menu.

"They’re open most of the time, and if a Waffle House is closed because there is a disaster, it’s bad. We call it Red," said Craig Fugate, a former FEMA director told NPR in 2016.

"If they’re open but have a limited menu, that’s Code Yellow."

Now, in a signal of how severe Hurricane Ian’s impact might be on southwest Florida, Waffle House has closed 21 locations between Bradenton and Naples, NBC News reported. That indicates a Code Red in Florida, at least according to the Waffle House Index.

What Else Travels At 155 MPH

To get an idea of just how fast and powerful winds are at 155 mph, here are a few other things that travel at 155 mph, according to TheMeasureOfThings.com.

• The speed of a skydiver diving headfirst from a plane is about 160 mph.
• The Falcon's Flight, a record-breaking rollercoaster scheduled to open in 2023 at Six Flags Qiddiya in Saudi Arabia, will reach speeds of 155 mph.
• 155 mph is about nine-tenths as fast as a helicopter.
• It's not quite as fast as a Lamborghini Gallardo, which reaches speeds up to 200 miles per hour.

Last Storm This Big

The last time a hurricane this devastating hit Florida was Michael in 2018.

Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle as an unprecedented Category 5 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 161 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Wind and storm surge caused catastrophic damage in the Panama City Beach to Mexico Beach areas.

Eight people were killed as a result of Hurricane Michael: seven in Florida and one in Georgia, Reuters reported. In addition, 43 indirect deaths were attributed to the storm.

Power Outages

More than 1.3 million Florida homes and businesses were without power Wednesday evening and that number continues to increase, according to PowerOutage.US.

Gov. DeSantis on Wednesday tweeted that more than 42,000 linemen are standing by to help restore power once it's safe. According to Florida Power & Light, thousands of line workers from 30 states traveled to the state to assist with restoring power.

Florida Power & Light said the company is expecting "widespread, extended outages."

If you want to know how many areas are without power or need updates on restoration, click Florida on the map section of PowerOutage.US, and click on the county where you live for its outage report. This site lists the most recent reported outages along with each electric provider in the state.

• RELATED: How To Prepare For Power Outages: Hurricane Ian