A woman takes photos of the surf on Tampa Bay ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
FLORIDA — Hurricane Ian has begun to make landfall in Florida. Just shy of a category 5 storm, the hurricane is currently lashing the state with brutal winds up to 155 mph and parts of the area are expected to see anywhere between 12 and 18 inches of rain.
The hurricane has caused mass flight cancellations and prompted 2.5 million people to evacuate from their homes. Ian has only begun to sweep through the state, but heavy destruction is already evident in parts of Southern Florida.
See photos below of Hurricane Ian making its way through the state.
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An airplane overturned by a likely tornado produced by the outer bands of Hurricane Ian is shown, Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)A couple clears their yard of debris in Hollywood, Fla. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)Eastbound traffic crowds Interstate 4 as people evacuate in preparation for Hurricane Ian approaches the western side of the state, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)This image provided by FLDOT shows an emergency vehicle traveling on the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay. (FDOT via AP)This Satellite image provided by NASA on Sept. 26, 2022, shows Hurricane Ian pictured from the International Space Station just south of Cuba gaining strength and heading toward Florida. (NASA via AP)Utility trucks are staged in a rural lot in The Villages of Sumter County. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel via AP)Electronic screens are seen at the Orlando International Airport as the facility starts to cease operations ahead of Hurricane Ian, Wednesday morning. (AP Photo/John Raoux)Sisters Angel Disbrow (R) and Selena Disbrow walk along the shore of a receded Tampa Bay as water was pulled out from the bay in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)A sail boat is beached at Sarasota Bay. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)Local residents (L-R) Adam Lawhead, Mike Copher, and Mark Seger wait for the storm at Castle Hotel at the bay of St. Pete Beach as the winds from Hurricane Ian arrive. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images) An uprooted tree, toppled by strong winds from the outer bands of Hurricane Ian, rests in a parking lot of a shopping center in Cooper City. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay due to a negative surge. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Find out what's happening in Across Floridafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
