September 29, 2022 Hurricane Ian updates

A portion of the Sanibel Causeway has been washed away by storm surge from Hurricane Ian, according to video from CNN affiliates WBBH and WPLG.

At least three sections of the causeway have been washed away, according to aerial video from WPLG.

CNN geolocated the location where WBBH is reporting from, and the roadway that was washed out is a ramp up to the causeway's second bridge, spanning the second half toward Sanibel Island. 

Two portions of the ramps to both bridges and a stretch of roadway that crossed an island in the middle of the causeway have been completely washed away.

The causeway is the only way to get to or from Sanibel and Captiva Islands to Florida's mainland. 

Sanibel Causeway and Pine Island Bridge are "not passable and they are going to require structural rebuilds," said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during an update briefing on Thursday.

Florida Highway Patrol confirmed that a portion of the Sanibel Causeway Bridge “was damaged / washed out,” Lt. Gregory S. Bueno with the Public Affairs Division of Florida Highway Patrol told CNN.

According to Florida 511, all lanes of the bridge are currently closed and the severity of the closure is listed as “major.”

Watch reporting from the scene:

Disney World was completely closed for business as it braced for the impact of Ian's landfall on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday. 

Kelly Zimmerman told CNN that she rode out the hurricane with her sister and her children at a hotel in the theme park located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

"Disney is wonderful and they try to make it a great experience. And so even though things were closed, they were still trying to make it great for the kids and had like the arcades all free in the hotel and just different characters coming, and dance parties and crafts. They tried to make the best of it so that the guests would still have a good experience," she said. 

While they experienced rain and wind, Zimmerman said she "very safe the whole time and protected."

On Sunday, the family had plans to go to Mickey's Halloween party.

Watch:

Powerful Hurricane Ian crossed Florida from Wednesday into Thursday, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. As the now-tropical storm exits the state, the complete assessment of damage still needs to be seen, but here's what we know:

US Coast Guard crews in Florida have rescued 23 people within the past 24 hours, Deputy Commandant for Operations Vice Adm. Peter Gautier said Thursday morning

Gautier told CNN that those still in Ian’s path should heed evacuation orders as the storm is not over yet. 

Gautier said the Coast Guard will work with the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up any oil spills and hazardous materials in impacted areas after the storm.  

HCA Florida Englewood Hospital is currently closed and will transfer patients to other facilities, according to social media posts by the hospital.

The patients were being transferred to other HCA Florida Healthcare hospitals, according to another post. 

The hospital has set up a patient reunification hotline for family of the patients. 

HCA Florida Englewood Hospital offers “cardiovascular care, general surgery, 24/7 emergency care, urology, orthopedics, stroke care and advanced imaging services.” 

All nonessential government services and facilities in Florida's Collier County will be closed on Thursday, following the impacts of Hurricane Ian in the county, which includes Naples.

But all essential services, including those involving public utilities and emergency operations, remain fully operational, the country said in a Thursday morning update.

Collier Area Transit services will also stay suspended on Thursday morning until the roads have been evaluated and cleared for service, the update said.

Sarasota, Florida, Police Chief Rex Troche said winds in the city are still gusting, and he urged residents to remain off the roads.

“I know people are getting antsy and they want to get back into their homes,” he said in a video on Facebook

Sarasota has several bridges that remain closed on Thursday morning, he said, and officers are out assessing them. 

The police chief became visibly emotional as he spoke about the destruction in Southwest Florida. 

Troche said that he is thinking of other agencies across the region that are dealing with massive damage. 

“I just want to make sure that everyone understands that we're in this together, we're one community, one family, and we want to make sure that we recover as quickly as possible,” he said. 

“I also want to say to the other agencies in the cities — our hearts go out to the damage that we've seen,” Troche said, getting choked up. “We're going to be here, we're going to be here for all of you.” 

Hurricane Ian brought record flooding to several locations in central and southern Florida.

Radar estimates and ground observation rainfall shows well-over a foot of rain fell in just 12 to 24 hours across a swath the region. In some of the hardest-hit areas, this exceeds the rainfall rates for 1-in-1,000 year flood events, according to NOAA data.

Even more locations over a wider area saw 500-year and 200-year rainfall rates, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis referenced the hurricane’s rainfall as “a 500-year flood event” on Thursday morning.

A 1,000-year rainfall event is one that is so intense that it is only seen once every 1,000 years on average under normal circumstances. But extreme rainfall is becoming more common as the climate crisis pushes temperatures higher. Warmer air can hold more moisture, which loads the dice in favor of historic rainfall.

Placida, Florida, had an observed rainfall total of more than 15 inches over 12 hours on Wednesday. This exceeds the 1-in-1,000 year flood event interval of 14.0 inches. 

Lake Wales, Florida, received 16.99 inches in 24 hours, which exceeds its 1-in-1,000 year flood event for a 24-hour interval of 16.8 inches.

Other locations that likely had 1-in-1,000 year flood events, but have only been confirmed by radar rainfall estimates, mostly because the hurricane damaged the measuring equipment or power outages, include:

Rainfall rates in landfalling tropical systems has increased as a result of a warming climate, according to scientists. Numerous other 1-in-1,000 year flood events have occurred in non-tropical systems this year, such as in St. Louis, Eastern Kentucky, and Dallas.

Manatee County, Florida, has lifted the evacuation orders that were put in place ahead of Hurricane Ian. 

In a statement on Thursday, Manatee County said: “Emergency evacuation shelters are being closed, and residents are being allowed to return to their homes. However, it is not a return to normal.” 

Teams are assessing the damage this morning.

“Initial assessments show that the island communities have suffered minor to moderate damages with a greater impact being felt inland in east county communities like Myakka city,” he said. 

“Reports of fallen trees, scattered limbs and snapped power wires have been widespread across the region, and while power crews are already deploying to the area, residents are being asked to be alert for debris and downed lines,” according to the statement.