Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S., turned streets into rivers, knocking out power to 2 million people and threatening catastrophic damage further inland. The hurricane's center made landfall near Cayo Costa, a barrier island just west of heavily populated Fort Myers in southwestern Florida. The Category 4 storm slammed the coast with 241 kilometers per hour winds and pushed a wall of storm surge accumulated during its slow march over the Gulf. More than 2 million Florida homes and businesses were without electricity, and nearly every home and business in three counties were without power. About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate before Ian hit, but by law, no one could be forced to flee.