I AM GIO INSIGNARES IN FOR JENISE FERNANDEZ. >>Kristi: I AM KRIST
>>Kristi: RIGHT NOW AT NOON,
SEARCH AND RESCUE EFFORTS ARE
UNDER WAY AFTER IAN MAKES
LANDFALL IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AT
NEAR CATEGORY 5 STRENGTH.
THE DEVASTATION SO WIDESPREAD ON
THE WEST COAST WITH COMMUNITIES
FLOODED, HOMES DESTROYED AND
MORE THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE
WITHOUT POWER.
THE DEATH TOLL IS EXPECTED TO
RISE AND COULD BE IN THE
HUNDREDS.
>>Gio: THE FIRST LOOK FROM THE
DAMAGE FROM ABOVE.
AND IT IS EXTENSIVE.
SKY 150 FLYING OVER SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.
THE BRIDGE INTO SANIBEL ISLAND
TAKEN OUT BY IAN.
HOMES AND BOATS DESTROYED IN
THAT STORM.
>>Kristi: CREWS ALL THROUGHOUT
THE DATE.
>>Gio: ANDREW PEREZ LIVE IN
NAPLES.
ANDREW.
NAPLES. ANDREW. >>Reporter: I WANT TO BE VERY
CLEAR AS YOU MENTIONED.
THE FOCUS ON SEARCH AND RESCUE.
NOW THAT THE WATER LEVELS HAVE
DROPPED DRAMATICALLY, PEOPLE ARE
STARTING TO COME OUT.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE
DAMAGE.
SOME OF THE CARS AND BOATS, MANY
OF THEM FLOATED AWAY.
PRETTY FAR AWAY TOO.
FOUR PONTOON BOATS.
THEY CAME FROM A BUSINESS THAT
IS NOT VERY CLOSE TO THIS AREA.
UP AND DOWN THE WEST COAST, JUST
AN EXTREME SITUATION.
IAN MAKING HISTORY AS ONE OF THE
MOST POWERFUL HURRICANES TO EVER
MAKE LANDFALL IN FLORIDA,
DECIMATING PARTS OF THE STATE.
>> THE STORM IS HAVING BROAD
IMPACTS ACROSS THE STATE AND
SOME OF THE FLOODING YOU ARE
GOING TO SEE IN AREAS HUNDREDS
OF MILES FROM WHERE THIS MADE
LANDFALL ARE GOING TO SET
RECORD.
>> 2.5 MILLION FLORIDIANS TOLD
TO EVACUATE BUT SOME WHO CHOSE
TO STAY HAD TO BE RESCUED BY
FIRST RESPONDERS.
HIGH WATER LEVEL PROMPTING
DRASTIC CALLS IN LEE COUNTY.
>> CALLER REPORTING A SINKING
VEHICLE.
UNKNOWN IF HE IS BREATHING.
CALLER JUST DISCONNECTED.
>>Reporter: SO MANY PEOPLE WAIT
FOR HELP.
>> THOUSANDS OF HOMES ON 911
PRIORITIZED AND ANSWERING AS WE
SPEAK.
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WAITING TO
BE RESCUED.
>>Reporter: ABC GINGER ZEE
FACING THE EYE WALL.
>> WE SEE THE WINDS AND THAT
LITTLE HOUSE THAT WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT ALL DAY IS GONE,
SUCCUMBED TO THE STORM SURGE.
BLUE ROOF IS THE ONLY THING LEFT
FLOATING.
>>Reporter: FORT MYERS FLOODED
WITH A 12-FOOT STORM SURGE,
DEBRIS FLOATING IN THE STREETS.
CARS SUBMERGED.
SOME WAKING UP WITHOUT HOMES.
THIS FLOATING DEBRIS WAS ONCE
SOMEONE’S HOUSE.
IN NAPLES, KIMBERLY WALKER
TELLING ABC THE MOMENT THAT
SEEPED INTO HER HOME.
>> THE WATER BECAME A LOT MORE
AND A LOT MORE AND A LOT MORE.
IT DIDN’T MATTER WHAT YOU DID.
>> THE WATER STARTED COMING INTO
MY HOME, REACHING MID THIGH.
I KNEW I HAD TO GET OUT.
>>Reporter: THE CITY OF PUNTA
GORDA
GORDA, WATER SERVICES OUT AND A
BOIL WATER SERVICE UNTIL FURTHER
NOTICE.
>>Reporter: HOME AND BUSINESS
OWNERS OUT SAY THAT THE DAMAGE
IS EXTREME AND THESE AREAS WILL
TAKE QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO
RECOVER.
>>Gio: DREW, WE NOTICED THE CARS
BEHIND YOU COMING IN.
THE WATER LEVELS RECEDED.
YOU SEE TRAFFIC COMING INTO
NAPLES.
WHAT IS YOUR TRAFFIC ON YOUR
COMMUTE OVER THERE.
HAVE YOU SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE
TRYING TO GET BACK TO THEIR
HOMES AND SUCH?
>>Andrew: AGAIN, EVERYONE IS
TRYING TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE.
A FLOOD OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET
BACK TO THEIR HOMES.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO SO MANY MORE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS NOT
JUST FROM SOUTHWEST FLORIDA BUT
ALL OVER THE STATE, FROM OTHER
STATES AS WELL, ON THE WAY IN.
JUST FPL ALONE.
FPL TRUCKS, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF
THEM ACROSS ALLIGATOR ALLEY.
CAUSING TRAFFIC ISSUES.
ENCOURAGING PEOPLE IF YOU DON’T
NEED TO LEAVE WHERE YOU ARE,
STAY PUT.
PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS.
THEY WANT TO SEE HOW THEIR HOMES
HAVE FAIRED AND HOW THEIR
FRIENDS ARE DOING.
RIGHT NOW THEY WANT PEOPLE TO
STAY PUT.
I WANT TO YOU TAKE A LOOK AT AN
INTERVIEW WE CONDUCT A SHORT
TIME AGO.
WE SPOKE TO A FEW BUSINESS
OWNERS OUT HERE.
THEY HAD EXTENSIVE WATER DAMAGE
TO THEIR BUSINESSES.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> WE THOUGHT IRMA WAS BAD AND
CHARLIE WAS BAD.
THIS IS -- THIS IS -- LIKE I
NEVER EXPERIENCED AT ALL IN MY
29 YEARS OF LIFE.
CARS ABANDONED.
BOATS ARE FLOATING EVERYWHERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE BOATS BACK
THERE.
JUST CRASHED INTO EVERYWHERE.
IT’S -- IT IS DEVASTATING.
A LOT OF HOMES BACK HERE ON
BAYSHORE WERE EVACUATED.
SOME CASUALTIES ACTUALLY.
>> EVERYTHING IS KIND OF
DESTROYED.
I MEAN, COMPUTERS, A LOT OF
PAPERWORK, TITLES FOR CARS.
I HAD TO TAKE THEM OUT.
THEY ARE WET.
IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING, WE HAVE
OUR LIVES AND THIS IS MORE
IMPORTANT, YOU NOEKNOW.
>>Andrew: I THINK IT IS ALSO
IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT NO CELL
SERVICE.
WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH BIG
STORMS LIKE THIS IN SOUTH
FLORIDA.
NO TO LIMITED GAS.
WE SAW ONE GAS STATION THAT WAS
ACTUALLY OPEN BUT OBVIOUSLY A
VERY LONG LINE.
NO POWER AS WELL.
CREWS ARE URGING PEOPLE TO,
AGAIN, STAY CALM, REMAIN
INDOORS.
100 PORTABLE CELL PHONE TOWERS