Dramatic before and after images show scale of Hurricane Ian’s destruction in Florida

Hurricane Ian has ripped through southwestern Florida, causing mass flooding, destroying thousands of homes and leaving an estimated two million people without power.

The storm is one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the United States, with sustained winds at almost 150mph, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Before and after images of the affected areas demonstrate the scale of the destruction.

Storm ‘doing a number’ on Florida – Hurricane Ian live updates

1. Estero Island

These screenshots are from videos filmed facing northwest on the main road of Estero Island, a resort area just south of Fort Myers city.

The image on the left was shared on Instagram just as the storm began to hit. In it, there is flooding in the road but the swimming pool and parking area remain untouched.

But in the right-hand shot, posted two hours after, the pool and car park are completely submerged. Cars also appear to float in the deluge.

A second comparison shows the extent of the flooding in the nearby car park more clearly.

2. Sanibel Island

This time-lapse footage shows a similar scene on Sanibel Island, a few miles to the west.

It was captured early yesterday afternoon by a traffic camera located on the island’s Periwinkle Way. Within 30 minutes, the street was engulfed by rising floodwaters, despite being nearly a mile inland.

3. Naples Pier

The coastal city of Naples, which is around 40 miles to the south, has also been severely affected.

This webcam captured the scene at the beach by Naples Pier after the hurricane hit.

Slide the marker across the image below to see what the beach looked like yesterday compared to three days ago.

4. Naples Fire and Rescue Headquarters

The left-hand image, taken from a video shared by the Naples Fire Department, show the situation in the city itself.

The bushes just outside the building are almost entirely submerged in several feet of water.

In another screengrab, we can see that the red water pipes situated to the left of the vehicle entranceway are also underwater.

5. Park Shore Drive, Naples

Another video captured by Naples Fire and Rescue shows the rescue of a driver trapped inside their car due to rising floodwater.

The picture on the right, taken from Google Maps imagery captured in June, demonstrates the scale of the storm surge.

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