Hurricane Irma slammed into the Florida Keys, Naples, and finally Fort Myers. By the time it reached Fort Myers, the storm had weakened significantly, but it still flooded many areas.
Around 6 p.m. on Sunday, portions of U.S. 41 were flooded and filled with debris from the hurricane. Trees, business signs, and street lamps were overturned and tossed by the powerful winds. All in all, the storm left more than 3 million people in Florida without power. But for the mainland U.S., the storm was not nearly as terrible as many feared it would be back when it was in the ocean and roaring as a powerful Category 5.
The winds were strong in Fort Myers as the storm passed.
Update from Fort Myers and Hurricane Irma. Lost a screen. Now in the eye wall. Everyone safe. #irma #irmaflorida #irmahurricane #fortmyers
Even though it was a weaker storm, it was still scary:
Even reporters had to acknowledge the strength of the storm.
.@TomLlamasABC: “It’s getting worse by the minute” as center of Hurricane #Irma barrels down on Fort Myers, FL t.co/5Kz3EN1ESV
The leading eye wall in Fort Myers:
It was definitely a storm to take shelter from:
Getting super windy here in Fort Myers – Hurricane Irma #IrmaFlorida #irma #irmageddon #irmahurricane #fortmyers
Fort Myers experienced the same negative storm surge that many others reported before Irma’s landfall:
Here’s a video showing some of the damage from the storm, with roads blocked by fallen trees:
Driving through N. Fort Myers to see the destruction left behind from #Irma. #TrackingIrma #HurricaneIrma @NBC2 @ABC7SWFL
Here are more photos from Irma’s time in Fort Myers.
GettyFernando Oropeza walks up the stairs after taking his dog Simon out for a walk at a hotel on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.
GettyLeo Figueroa and his son Leo Jr. (2) wait out Hurricane Irma in a hotel on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.
GettyHotel guests sit in a lobby playing dominos after the electricity was cut at a hotel as Hurricane Irma arrives into southwest Florida on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.
GettyA family sits in a hallway as they ride out Hurricane Irma in a hotel on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.
GettyHotel workers and guests look out the window as they wait out Hurricane Irma in a hotel on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.
GettyPalm trees blow in the wind as Hurricane Irma arrives into southwest Florida on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.
GettyPalm trees blow in the wind as Hurricane Irma arrives into southwest Florida on September 10, 2017 in Fort Myers, Florida.