NOTE: Track live radar of the storm as it nears landfall and see special coverage below.
Video from a Chicago resident in Cape Coral as the region faces a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane shows the intensity of Hurricane Ian's winds.
Bruce Ruzgis shared his footage with NBC 5 as he remained in the area, hunkered down during the storm.
Track the storm live here.
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Cape Coral sits just off the island of Cayo Costa, which is where Hurricane Ian first made landfall this afternoon.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said radar imagery indicated the eye made landfall at 2:05 p.m. CT near Cayo Costa.
"Data from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft indicate that Ian's maximum sustained winds were estimated to be near 150 mph," NOAA stated.
Weather
An extreme wind warning is in effect for Cape Coral and multiple surrounding areas until 5 p.m. CT "for extremely dangerous hurricane winds," according to the National Weather Service.
"Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!" the weather service tweeted Wednesday afternoon.
Fueled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 155 mph (250 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm trudged on a track to make landfall north of the heavily populated Fort Myers area, which forecasters said could be inundated by a storm surge of up to 18 feet (5.5 meters).
“This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said early Wednesday, stressing that people in Ian’s path along the coast should rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there.
Special coverage will appear below as it is available.
