Hurricane Ian Upgraded to Category 5 Before Florida Landfall
TL;DR
Hurricane Ian briefly reached maximum Category 5 status before weakening to a Category 4 storm as it blasted ashore last September in southwest Florida, eventually causing over $112 billion in damage in the U.S. and more than 150 deaths directly or indirectly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Monday. The report, which NOAA releases for all major tropical storms, also says Ian was the costliest hurricane in Florida history and the third-costliest ever in the U.S. as a whole.
- NOAA: Ian was Cat 5 before weakening at Florida landfall ABC News
- Report: Hurricane Ian reached Category 5 just before landfall Wink News
- Hurricane Ian briefly attained Category 5 intensity off Florida's Gulf Coast, NHC says Fox Weather
- Upon further review, Hurricane Ian peaked as a rare Category 5 The Washington Post
- Ian posthumously upgraded to Category 5 hurricane WFLA
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