Florida is one of the more well-known states in the United States yet not many people know about the tragedy of Hurricane Ian and its impact on the people of Florida.

First off, what is a hurricane? A hurricane, as described in the oxford dictionary, is ‘a storm with a violent wind, in particular a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean.’ The recent hurricane was a category four hurricane, one of the worst hurricanes to hit Florida since 1935, but we probably do not know how to categorize them, right? They are categorized using the ‘Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale’ – this system is a 5-point scale, measured by wind speeds. The scale also considers the damages the hurricane can do when it hits land. A three-point hurricane is major, but 2- and 1-point hurricanes can also be very damaging to the lands.

On September 18^th, Hurricane Ian tore through the Gulf of Mexico and Florida’s shores, causing more than one hundred deaths, most of which were drowning cases. This category four hurricane has washed away forty-five billion dollars’ worth of homes and cut off roads all throughout the damaged area and many people are starving or living without a home to reside in.

The hurricane, which seemed to be a normal severe cyclone, created toxic bacteria within the waters. This bacterium, called Vibrio Vulnificus, is a flesh-eating bacterium that lives in warm saltwater environments. Currently, the most known treatment is to get the limb that is affected amputated or to take antibiotics while caring for the limb tediously.

Similar to what happened during Covid-19, stores have been stripped clean of their products, causing a lack of food, water, and personal hygiene products. Stores will be rushing to get these products back in but, due to the damage of the hurricane, some of the warehouses where they are made have been slowed down or destroyed completely.

So, how can we help? People all around the country have been creating relief packages for the people affected by the hurricane, and others have started GoFundMe’s and other donation boxes to help support the people from Florida. Others have been donating food and have been volunteering. All these acts really help Florida to rebuild their cities. If you look up ‘Hurricane Ian Recovery’ there are many resources that pop up to help the state.