LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN DETROIT LOCAL 4 NEWS AT FIVE STARTS NOW. WE BEGIN TO LIVE PICTURES FROM FORT
MYERS, FLORIDA, WHERE HURRICANE
IAN IS WREAKING HAVOC AT THIS
HOUR, WITH HIGH WINDS AND
INTENSE FLOODING HIT FLORIDA’S
GULF COAST AND WE’VE GOT A LOT
OF NEW INFORMATION JUST IN HERE
ON LOCAL 4 NEWS AT FIVE. LET’S
GET TO THE VERY LATEST AS WE
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT LIVE
PICTURES FROM THE SUNSHINE
SKYWAY IN TAMPA, JUST IN HERE
THE PAST FEW MINUTES. MORE THAN
ONE MILLION PEOPLE ARE WITHOUT
POWER IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
JUST IN THE PAST HOUR, FLORIDA’S
EMERGENCY DIRECTOR TOLD
RESIDENTS TO HUNKER DOWN BECAUSE
OF MURDER. URGENCY SERVICES WILL
SIMPLY NOT BE AVAILABLE. TAKE A
LOOK HERE. THIS IS VIDEO JUST IN
FROM BOCA GRANDE. BARRIER ISLAND
NORTHWEST OF FORT MYERS, AS
SMALL COMMUNITY SAW INTENSE WINS
MORE THAN 100 MILES AN HOUR
GETTING A DIRECT HIT. FROM THE
EYE WALL AND THIS VIDEO JUST
SENT TO US FROM VANDERBILT BEACH
IN NAPLES. YOU CAN SEE THE STORM
SURGES, FLOODING OUT THE STREETS
RIGHT THERE. THE PEOPLE WHO SHOT
IT LIVE IN THAT CONDO COMPLEX
ACTUALLY KNOW THOSE FOLKS ARE ON
THE THIRD FLOOR THERE THE FIRST
FLOOR I HAVE TO TELL YOU TOTALLY
FLOODED OUT. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS
EERIE SIGHT FROM TAMPA BAY.
HURRICANE SUCKED WATER AWAY FROM
THE SHORE LINE. THIS IS CALLED A
REVERSE STORM SURGES WHEN STORM
WINDS PUSH WATER OUT OF THE BAY
, BUT THAT WATER IS EXPECTED TO
COME RUSHING BACK WITH UP TO SIX
FT OF STORM SURGE IN, OFFICIALS
SAY WALKING ON THE SEA FLOOR.
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE THESE FOLKS
HERE DOING IS EXTREMELY
DANGEROUS. AND ON ANY NORMAL DAY
, YOU WOULD SAY ENGLEWOOD BEACH
ABOUT 25 MILES NORTH OF FORT
MYERS. THIS EARTH CAM CAUGHT
VIDEO OF THE CATEGORY FOUR STORM
JUST COMING ASHORE AT FULL
STRENGTH JUST BEFORE THE HIGH
WINDS KNOCKED IT OFFLINE. NOW,
LET’S GIVE YOU A BETTER SENSE OF
WHERE THIS IS HAPPENING. THE
STORM MADE LANDFALL BETWEEN 14.
MYERS AND TAMPA AND WE KNOW SO
MANY OF YOU HAVE TIES TO THAT
AREA ARE FOREWARNED.
METEOROLOGIST KIM ADAMS IS IN
THE THICK OF IT. SHE IS IN
VENICE, FLORIDA RIGHT NOW AND
SENT THIS BACK JUST A SHORT TIME
AGO, RIGHT BEFORE SHE LOST HER
SIGNAL. AND FORWARD
METEOROLOGIST KIM ADAMS AND WE
ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE EYE OF
HURRICANE IAN WERE IN THE
NORTHWEST PART OF THE OUTER WALL
. WE ARE JUST 12 MILES FROM
PORCH. CHARLOTTE WHERE THE I
JUST CAME ASHORE. WE HAVE WINDS
AT ABOUT 100 TO 110 MPH HAIL
HEAVY, HEAVY RAIN HERE THERE IS
SO MANY REPORTS AS YOU’VE BEEN
SEEING OF SURGE. WE’RE FAR
ENOUGH INLAND THAT WE’RE NOT
WORRIED ABOUT SERGE, BUT
CERTAINLY HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUING HERE. THINGS
WILL GET WORSE FOR THE NEXT AT
LEAST HOUR OR SO. AND THEN THEY
SHOULD COME SLIGHTLY AS THE I
JUST MOVES OFF TO THE EAST OF US
, AND THEN IT WILL START TO
STRENGTHEN. ONCE AGAIN AS WE GET
ON THE BACK SIDE, THE SOUTHERN
SIDE OF THE EYE WALL. AGAIN
WINDS RIGHT NOW ARE ABOUT 100 TO
110 MPH. WE ARE RIGHT. RIGHT IN
THE EYE WALL OF HURRICANE IAN
BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH. KIM. NOW WE WANT
TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHERE
THIS INTENSE STORM IS HEADED
NEXT TO PAUL GROSS. HE’S
TRACKING E ENFORCED TONIGHT.
PAUL KIM IS RIGHT HERE IN VENICE
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT’S IN THE EYE
WALL DIRECTLY IN THE EYE WALL OF
THIS POWERFUL CATEGORY FOUR
HURRICANE, YOU CAN SEE THE
STRUCTURE STILL WELL DEVELOPED
HURRICANE, BUT AS IT MOVES
INLAND, IT’S GOING TO LOSE THAT
STRUCTURE AND QUICKLY START TO
WEAKEN THAT PROCESS. WE NO OUT
AND IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME. NOW
THIS IS WHEN RADAR CAN TELL US
ABOUT WIND SPEEDS. TAMPA RADAR
IS WAY UP HERE. WE’VE DIALED
INTO THE TAMPA RADAR HERE, SO
THESE GREENS ARE BLOWING TOWARD
THE RADAR. THESE PURPLES ARE
BLOWING AWAY FROM THE RADAR SO
YOUAN SEE THE ROTATION HERE.
AND IF YOU WERE WATCHING IT FOR
I TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS PATCH OF
WHITE THAT WAS OUT OVER THE
GULF. THIS IS 150 MILE PER HOUR
WIND ABOUT 4000 FT UP. SO YOU
TAKE A LITTLE BIT OFF OF THAT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT ALONG THE
COASTLINE HERE. THEY’RE STILL
GETTING 120 131 140 MILE PER
HOUR WIN. ALL RIGHT, WHERE IS
THIS THING GOING? THE TRACK HAS
NOT CHANGED A WHOLE LOT, BUT IT
DOES LOOK LIKE IT COULD STILL BE
A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE BY THE
TIME IT GETS TO ORLANDO
OVERNIGHT, AND THEN TOMORROW
APPROACHING DAYTONA BEACH AS A
STRONG TROPICAL STORM AND THEN
CONTINUING UP INTO SOUTH