Ian leaves major infrastructure damage in wake

Ian came ashore in Florida on Wednesday as one of the strongest hurricanes in U.S. history.

The category four system slammed the western Florida city of Fort Myers before moving northeasterly across the Sunshine State.

When the clouds cleared, aerials showed the wide-spread damage to homes. Boats thrown like toys across harbors and into inland areas.

Major infrastructure damage was done to roads, bridges and access points to islands. Here at the Sanibel Causeway, the entire road crumbled under the storm surge. More than 6,000 people live on the barrier island.

Ian’s forecast pushed orange juice futures higher in anticipation of the storm. The full extent of damage to the fertilizer and beef cattle industry is still being assessed.

Those who rode out the storm were fortunate enough to tell the tale of survival.

James Burdette, North Fort Myers, Florida resident: "I stayed here as long as I could until I got scared for my life and went across the street in a brick home, which the three little pigs, they built them out of block, it's supposed to stay. Mine was build out of sticks. It didn't last too long when the big bad wolf come and puffed it away. But I literally watched my house disappear with everything in it right before my eyes."

The system moved back over the Atlantic Ocean and has regained hurricane status Friday putting all of South Carolina’s coast on alert.

Gov. Henry McMaster, (R) South Carolina: "Doesn't make much difference whether this comes in at hurricane strength or below it, storm strength or somewhere on the line. It's going to be blowing strong winds. It's going to be all over the state at different levels, as you can see if you go and look at those maps. But we know we're going to have a lot of water."

For Market to Market, I’m Peter Tubbs.

Contact: paul.yeager@iowapbs.org