Hurricane Ian hit Florida primarily in the southwestern region on September 28, 2022, as a strong Category 4 hurricane. It made landfall near Cayo Costa, a barrier island on Florida's Gulf Coast, at around 3:05 pm with sustained winds of about 150 mph (240 km/h)

. The eye of the hurricane then moved across Charlotte Harbor and made a second landfall on the Florida Peninsula near Punta Gorda in Charlotte County

. The hardest-hit areas in Florida included:

• Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel Island, and Bonita Springs in Lee County, which experienced catastrophic damage from a 10–15 ft (3.0–4.6 m) storm surge combined with high winds

• The cities of Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Naples suffered severe impacts, with millions losing power and many residents forced to take refuge on roofs due to flooding

• Charlotte County near Punta Gorda, where more than 200 homes were destroyed and heavy rainfall caused flooding

• Sarasota and Manatee counties also experienced extensive wind damage and flooding, especially in Venice and North Port

Overall, Hurricane Ian caused widespread destruction along Florida's southwest coast, particularly in Lee and Charlotte counties, with severe storm surge, flooding, and wind damage