As Hurricane Ian pushes up the US East Coast, the first glimpses of the storm’s catastrophic strike on southwestern Florida are starting to come into view. A row of beachfront houses destroyed. An apartment floor covered in water and dirt. A utility pole snapped in half. A washed-out highway. Boats littering the sidewalk.

Officials warn that it will take days, if not longer, to assess the full magnitude of damage left behind. That's especially true in places inland with heavy rainfall, where water is less likely to quickly recede, making them difficult to reach. Even a preliminary scan of impacts along the coast, which experienced the brunt of Ian’s storm surge and Category 4 winds, reveals the storm to be a climate disaster.

Perhaps the biggest unknown at this point is Ian’s impact on loss of life. Despite repeated, early warnings to evacuate, there are many signs that people stayed behind. Speaking at a Federal Emergency Management Agency briefing on Thursday, President Joe Biden said: “We’re hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life.”

Also unknown is how the storm impacted the state’s orange crop. Early estimates say Ian’s cost could range from $69 billion to $100 billion.

What is known so far: In Fort Myers — not too far from where Ian made landfall with winds of 150 miles (241 kilometers) per hour — homes on the beach and on blocks inland were flattened, while many others were partially destroyed.

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