Tropical Storm — Pinellas, Florida

2022-09-28 · Pinellas, Florida

$50.0M

Property damage

Event narrative

The highest wind reported in Pinellas County from Hurricane Ian was a gust to 77 mph in Saint Petersburg at 3:46 PM EST on September 28. Rainfall generally ranged between 1.5 and 4 inches, with a maximum total of 3.34 inches at Albert Whitted Airport. 31 homes received major damage and another 86 reported minor damage. Offshore winds caused below normal tides of 4 feet on the gulf side of barrier islands, and up to 5 feet below normal in Tampa Bay near St. Petersburg, where the minimum reported water level of -3.94 feet below MLLW at 2:12 AM EST surpassed the previous minimum of -3.72 feet below MLLW, set during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Ian formed in the central Caribbean Sea on September 23 and moved through the western Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico and Western Atlantic making four separate landfalls. The first landfall was in the Pinar Del Rio Province of Cuba at 0830 UTC on September 27 with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph and a minimum pressure of 952 mb, before emerging into the Gulf of Mexico later that morning. Ian made its second landfall -- and first in Florida -- at 1905 UTC (2:05 PM EST) on September 28 near Cayo Costa with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and a pressure of 940 mb, before making its third landfall -- and second in Florida -- less than 2 hours later at 2035 UTC (3:35 PM EST) just south of Punta Gorda, near Pirate Harbor with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and a pressure of 942 mb. Ian made its fourth and final landfall in South Carolina on September 30 at 1805 UTC with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and a pressure of 977 mb.

County-by-County Impacts

Lee County - The highest wind reported in Lee County from Hurricane Ian was a gust to 140 mph at a weatherSTEM station at the Cape Coral yacht club at 4:20 PM EST on September 28. Catastrophic damage was caused by the storm surge that most severely affected coastal areas. Surveys indicate a maximum storm surge near 15 feet near the northwest part of Fort Myers Beach, with widespread 10 to 12 feet of inundation across parts of Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach, with all of Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Beach experiencing 6 to 8 feet of inundation. The peak recorded water level of 7.26 feet above MHHW at Fort Myers along the Caloosahatchee River at 5:30 PM EST on September 28 surpassed the previous record of 3.36 feet above MHHW, set during Hurricane Gabrielle in 2001. Structures on barrier islands were washed away, and causeways and bridges partially collapsed or were heavily damaged. Rainfall generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches with a maximum of 9.82 inches reported south of Charlotte Park. Lee County emergency management reported over 50,000 buildings damaged, of which 5,369 were destroyed, 14,245 received major damage, 16,314 received minor damage, and another 17,871 were affected. Preliminary damages totaled $6.8 billion. There were 60 fatalities directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Charlotte County - The highest wind reported in Charlotte County from Hurricane Ian was a gust to 111 mph near Grove city at 3:26 PM EST on September 28. Rainfall generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches over the eastern half of the county, to 15 to 25 inches across western and coastal locations, where an event-maximum total of 26.95 inches was reported near Grove City. Initial assessments reported over 200 homes destroyed; however, assessments remain ongoing, with additional structures likely damaged or destroyed. There were 8 fatalities directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Sarasota County - The highest wind reported in Sarasota County from Hurricane Ian was a gust to 109 mph at Tarpon Point at 12:56 PM EST on September 28. Rainfall generally ranged from 8 to 12 inches over the northern third of the county, to 15 to 20 inches across central and southern locations, where a maximum total of 21.45 inches was reported northeast of Northport. The Myakka river at Myakka River State Park reached a record level of 12.84 feet on October 1 at 11:45 PM EST, and area flooding prompted closure of Interstate 75 and offramps near heaviest affected flooding locations. There were 8 fatalities directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Manatee County - The highest wind reported in Manatee County from Hurricane Ian was a wind gust to 86 mph at the Sarasota Bradenton international airport at 5:10 PM EST on September 28. Rainfall generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches over the western half of the county, to 10 to 15 inches across eastern and southeastern locations, where a maximum total of 15.03 inches was reported east of Myakka Head. The Manatee River near Myakka Head reached its second highest crest of 19.33 feet on September 29 at 6:45 AM EST, and at Rye bridge reached its third highest stage of 17.19 feet on September 29 at 5:30 AM EST. A new record low water level was set at Port Manatee where the observed minimum of -2.39 feet below MLLW at 5:02 PM EST on September 28 surpassed the previous minimum of -2.03 feet below MLLW on January 3, 2008. Initial damage estimates were $1.1 billion as 10 homes and businesses were destroyed, 287 received major damage, 891 received minor damage, with a total of over 2,700 structures affected. There were 4 fatalities directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Hillsborough County - The highest wind reported in Hillsborough County from Hurricane Ian was a gust to 75 mph at Tampa International Airport at 5:12 PM EST on September 28, along with a gust to 88 mph measured over Tampa Bay. Rainfall generally ranged between 5 and 8 inches, with a maximum total of 5.45 inches near Sun City Center. The Little Manatee River near Wimauma reached its 10th highest level of 17.65 feet at 9:45 PM EST on September 29. Multiple record low water levels were set around Tampa Bay; East Bay established a new minimum of -5.67 feet below MLLW at 6:42 PM EST on September 28, surpassing the record set during Hurricane Irma in 2017, and Old Port Tampa's minimum of at least -2.88 feet below MLLW surpassed the previous record of -2.27 feet below MLLW set on December 15, 2004. It should be noted that the minimum water level at Old Port Tampa was lower than the official observed value; however, the station equipment ran dry preventing further measurement. Total damages are estimated at $54.8 million. There were 3 fatalities directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Pinellas County - The highest wind reported in Pinellas County from Hurricane Ian was a gust to 77 mph in Saint Petersburg at 3:46 PM EST on September 28. Rainfall generally ranged between 1.5 and 4 inches, with a maximum total of 3.34 inches at Albert Whitted Airport. 31 homes received major damage and another 86 reported minor damage. Offshore winds caused below normal tides of 4 feet on the gulf side of barrier islands, and up to 5 feet below normal in Tampa Bay near St. Petersburg, where the minimum reported water level of -3.94 feet below MLLW at 2:12 AM EST surpassed the previous minimum of -3.72 feet below MLLW, set during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

DeSoto County - The highest wind estimated in DeSoto County were gusts between 70 and 110 mph, although scarce instrumentation limited verifiable data. Rainfall generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches across the southeastern third of the county, to 10 to 20 inches across the northwestern two thirds of the county, with a maximum total of 17.59 inches near Pine Level. The Peace River in Arcadia reached a record high level of 23.7 feet at 6 AM EST on October 1, closing parts of highways 17, 70, and 72 near Arcadia. Horse Creek near Arcadia reached a record flood level of 21.24 feet at 4 AM EST on September 29. There was one fatality directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Hardee County - The highest wind reported in Hardee County from Hurricane Ian was an 81 mph wind gust in Wauchula at 11:20 PM EST on September 29. Rainfall generally ranged from 15 to 20 inches, with a maximum total of 20.13 inches near Zolfo Springs. The Peace River in Zolfo Springs reached a record flood stage of 27.24 feet at 4:30 PM EST on September 29. 18 structures were destroyed, 114 received major damage, 367 received minor damage, and 337 were affected with another 88 inaccessible. There were 9 fatalities reported by the medical examiner, with 4 directly attributed to Hurricane Ian.

Highlands County - The highest wind reported in Highlands County was a gust to 78 mph at the Sebring Regional Airport at 8:15 PM EST on September 28. Rainfall generally ranged from 5 to 10 inches, with a maximum total of 7.2 inches near Lake Josephine; however, radar estimates indicated 10 to 15 inches over the northwest corner of the county. A tornado was reported near Lake Placid, with a possible tornado near downtown Sebring.

Polk County - The highest wind reported in Polk County was a gust to 78 mph in Bartow at 1:58 AM EST on September 29. Rainfall generally ranged from 6 to 12 inches, with a maximum total of 12 inches reported in Frostproof. The Peace River in Bartow reached its third highest stage on record at 10.8 feet at 6 AM EST on October 2. 192 structures received major damage, 789 received minor damage, with another 1500 structures affected. There were 2 fatalities directly attributed to Hurricane Ian by the medical examiner.

Sumter County - In Sumter County, maximum winds were estimated between 50 and 65 mph in gusts. Rainfall generally ranged from 2 to 4 inches, with a maximum total of 3.42 inches near Lady Lake. Minor flooding was reported in low-lying areas near Webster. Minor damage to homes was reported in The Villages.

Pasco County - In Pasco County, maximum winds were estimated between 50 and 65 mph in gusts. Rainfall ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with a maximum total of 2.89 inches near Dade City. Offshore winds caused below normal tides of 3 to 4 feet. Damage was mostly minor and limited to shingles and downed trees.

Hernando County - In Hernando County, maximum winds were estimated between 50 and 65 mph in gusts. Rainfall ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with a maximum total of 1.57 inches near Brooksville. Offshore winds caused below normal tides of 3 to 4 feet.

Citrus County - In Citrus County, maximum winds were estimated between 50 and 65 mph in gusts. Rainfall ranged from 1 to 3 inches, with a maximum total of 1.34 inches near Inverness. Offshore winds caused below normal tides of 3 to 4 feet.

Levy County - In Levy County, maximum winds were estimated between 40 and 50 mph in gusts. Rainfall was generally an inch or less. Offshore winds caused below normal tides of 3 to 4 feet, and Cedar Key observed its 3rd lowest water level of -3.59 feet below MLLW at 9:48 PM EST on September 28.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1058666. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.