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Hurricane Ian lashes Florida, leaves heavy damage, millions without power

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On September 28, Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida. It struck the state with 150 mile-per-hour (241 kilometer-per-hour) winds. One day earlier, the hurricane struck Cuba. It left two people dead and the entire island without power.

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Zoom-inWith Category 4 strength, the strong winds knocked over structures throughout Orlando, Florida, leaving damage behind and many without power. Photo: Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel/ AP

Ian's strength at landfall in Florida was Category 4. This tied Ian for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to strike the United States. (A hurricane category scale of 1 to 5 rates the storm based on its maximum sustained winds. The higher the category, the greater the hurricane's potential for property damage.)

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The National Hurricane Center said Ian became a tropical storm early September 29. (Compared to a hurricane, a tropical storm has less severe sustained winds. However, tropical storms are still very dangerous.) Ian trapped people in flooded homes. It also knocked out power to nearly 2.7 million people.

Florida authorities confirmed four deaths from the storm. Many roads and bridges in the state remained impassable. This stranded thousands of people calling 911 to be rescued.

Ian is expected to travel over the Atlantic Ocean. Officials predict that it will hit the South Carolina coast September 30 at near-hurricane strength. It is then expected to move inland.​

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​Rescue Efforts Underway

Emergency crews sawed through toppled trees to reach people in flooded homes. However, many people remain without electricity and cell service. So, it was impossible for many people to call for help.

"Portable towers are on the way for cell service. Chances are your loved ones do not have ability to contact you," said the sheriff's office in Collier County.

In Fort Myers, Valerie Bartley's family worried the storm would blow their house apart. She and her husband pushed their dining room table against a patio door. They tried to protect their family from the fierce winds.

Bartley said that as the storm raged outside, her 4-year-old daughter grabbed her hand and said: "I'm scared too, but it's going to be OK."

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Zoom-inEmergency crews navigate flooded streets to rescue stranded residents in Florida in wake of Hurricane Ian. Photo: AP

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In Port Charlotte, a hospital's emergency room flooded. Fierce winds ripped away part of the roof. This sent water gushing down into the intensive care unit. The sickest patients were crowded into the middle two floors. The staff continued to prepare for storm victims to arrive.

Pleas were also posted on social media sites. People posted videos. Some videos showed debris-covered water sloshing toward their homes.

Brittany Hailer is a journalist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She contacted rescuers about her mother in North Fort Myers. Her mother's home was swamped by 5 feet (2 meters) of water.

"We don't know how they're going to leave, their cars are totaled," Hailer said.

​Storm Surge Threat

On September 29, hurricane warnings were lowered to tropical storm warnings across Florida. But widespread flooding remained likely. Storm surges were still forecast for both coasts. (A storm surge is an abnormal rise of water created by a storm, over and above the predicted tide.)

"It doesn't matter what the intensity of the storm is. We're still expecting quite a bit of rainfall," said Robbie Berg. He is a senior hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane conditions were possible on September 29 and September 30 along the coasts of northeast Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. That is where Ian was expected to move inland. The governors of South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia all declared states of emergency.

Boat With Cuban Migrants Sinks

On September 28, a boat carrying Cuban migrants sank. It happened in stormy weather east of Key West.

The U.S. Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue mission for 23 people. The Coast Guard managed to find three survivors. They were about two miles (three kilometers) south of the Florida Keys. Four other Cubans swam to Stock Island, just east of Key West. Air crews continued to search for possibly 20 remaining migrants.

The storm previously tore into Cuba. It brought down the country's electrical grid.​

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Multiple Choice

Read the selection from the section "Storm Surge Threat."

On September 29, hurricane warnings were lowered to tropical storm warnings across Florida. But widespread flooding remains likely. Storm surges were still forecast for both coasts. (A storm surge is an abnormal rise of water created by a storm, over and above the predicted tide.)

Which sentence from this selection supports the conclusion that weather events other than hurricanes can increase water levels?

• On September 29, hurricane warnings were lowered to tropical storm warnings across Florida.

• But widespread flooding remains likely.

• Storm surges were still forecast for both coasts.

• (A storm surge is an abnormal rise of water created by a storm, over and above the predicted tide.)

Multiple Choice

Read the paragraph from the section "Rescue Efforts Underway."

In Port Charlotte, a hospital's emergency room flooded. Fierce winds ripped away part of the roof. This sent water gushing down into the intensive care unit. The sickest patients were crowded into the middle two floors. The staff continued to prepare for storm victims to arrive.

Which detail from this paragraph supports the conclusion that flooding can be as dangerous as high winds?

• Fierce winds ripped away part of the roof.

• This sent water gushing down into the intensive care unit.

• The sickest patients were crowded into the middle two floors.

• The staff continued to prepare for storm victims to arrive.

Multiple Choice

Why did Brittany Hailer feel concerned after Ian struck southwest Florida?

• Boats used in rescue efforts were in short supply.

• Her mother was safe until help was able to arrive.

• She was not able to contact her mother by phone.

• Flood waters could stop her mother from evacuating.

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between the hurricane category scale and wind speed?

• A higher category number means faster sustained wind speeds.

• A higher category number means that tornadoes are more likely.

• A higher category number means that the storm will travel faster.

• A higher category number means that high winds will cause flooding.