Mary Pintea – News Editor
mvp5879@psu.edu

Hurricane Ian is ravaging through the southeastern United States, pummeling Florida with winds
as high as 156 mph, extreme flooding, and a catastrophic storm surge.
Some areas face over a foot of rainfall, prompting fast evacuation. First responders were
authorized to begin clearing emergency routes as soon as the storm weakens to 45 mph winds,
with other departments accepting emergency calls as early as Thursday morning. Unfortunately,
many counties are without power.
Many individuals have chosen to shelter inside of their homes—even in areas with minimal
flooding—as there is concern for what may lie in the waters. Florida is home to a diverse
community of animals, some of which are dangerous to encounter. Most families have been
asked to leave any livestock or large animals on their property rather than bring them to safety
shelters, stating that they should be able to weather the storm.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has proclaimed Hurricane Ian’s damages as historic, saying that
the state has not seen a flood event this deadly. At least 13 people were reported dead in counties
across the state, with thousands of stranded callers phoning into 911 call centers. One reported
casualty was a 72-year-old-man, who died after falling into a canal while draining his pool.
In some counties, shelters have been evacuated due to extreme structural damage, while roads
were deemed impassable because of downed power lines or high floods. Unfortunately, some
individuals cannot evacuate due to canceled flights. Approximately 2,000 U.S. flights were
canceled on Thursday, Sep. 29, as air travel grew highly unsafe. Airports in Florida are working
with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) and other partners to reopen as soon as airports
roadways, facilities, and staffing return to a safe state.
Other areas in the southeast are bracing for the storm—even if it does not directly hit them.
Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center said that Ian will move up the coast, potentially
strengthening into hurricane status again before reaching South Carolina. Governors from the
Carolinas, Georgia, and Virginia have all declared states of emergency in preparation.