Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Florida (includes video story)

The southwestern coast of Florida has been hammered by Hurricane Ian, which is bringing catastrophic storm surges, torrential rain, and strong winds.

The storm was just short of being classified as a category 5 hurricane, with sustained wind speeds of up to 155 mph. Immense storm surges carried onto land by hurricane-force winds have caused the majority of Ian’s damage.

Ian cut out power to the entire island of Cuba and now, more than a million people in Florida are without electricity.

It is strongly advised that the millions of Floridians whose homes are along Ian’s route evacuate and seek shelter. One of the most hazardous storms to hit the US in decades is attacking those who have stayed.

Alexa Velez is a senior at FIU majoring in broadcast media with a concentration in English. She has written for PantherNOW and Caplin News and is a recipient of the NBCU Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Scholarship. She completed her first internship on a national radio station, SLAM! Radio on Sirius XM 145, during the summer. She aims to network with others within the field and continue gaining experience in an effort to grow professionally and perfect her craft as a journalist.