ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—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 (NOAA) reported.
The report, which NOAA releases on April 3 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. In addition to Florida, Ian impacted Georgia, Virginia, the Carolinas and Cuba before it fell apart Oct. 1.
The NOAA report elevates Ian to one of the most powerful tropical cyclones on record as a Category 5 with winds estimated at 161 mph (259 kph) on Sept. 28 after passing by the Dry Tortugas islands. Although it weakened to a Category 4 storm when it struck Florida later that day with winds of 150 mph (241 kph), the storm is now on the list of deadly monsters such as Camille, Hugo, Andrew, Katrina, Wilma and Michael….