Ian's Incredible Storm Surge

There are these bizarre photos of Tampa Bay where the hurricane has sucked up so much water that the Bay has receded!

Hurricane Ian sucked water away from Florida's coast as it moved north (NPR)

September 28, 202212:55 PM ET

Hurricane Ian delivered an eerie omen to coastal Florida residents Wednesday morning, as the powerful storm's winds pulled massive amounts of water away from beaches and shorelines, exposing the seabed that's normally covered by feet of ocean water. 

Spectators and photographers gaped at the suddenly remade coastlines —…

From Tampa PD:

                                                                 

 Weather Channel:

Meanwhile, winds are blowing offshore producing a blowout tide in Tampa Bay. Water levels are around 6 feet below average and many parts of Tampa Bay are dry.

Ian's storm surge has arrived along parts of the southwest Florida coast, including in Naples, Florida, where over 6 feet of storm surge inundation has been measured, more than any other storm at that gauge location in at least 50 years. The tidal gauge there has since broken. 

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In Fort Myers proper, storm surge is now over 7 feet with high tide on the way. Previously the highest storm surge was 3.36 feet MHHW during Hurricane Gabrielle in 2001. Widespread flooding is ongoing.

NHC senior meteorologist Eric Blake noted Wednesday morning nobody alive has witnessed storm surge as high as forecast for Ian in southwest Florida. This was, in fact, a record storm surge for southwest Florida, according to data from the National Weather Service, and some spots could still rise.