Hurricane Ian Aftermath Videos Show Widespread Destruction Across Florida

A swathe of western and central Florida was devastated by Hurricane Ian, since downgraded to a tropical storm, which smashed into the Sunshine State on Wednesday.

The storm hit as a Category 4 hurricane, tearing out trees and triggering flooding that swept away vehicles and even some buildings.

Appearing on Good Morning America, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno warned "fatalities are in the hundreds" following the hurricane strike.

Video posted on social media shows the aftermath, with roads turned into rivers and roofs ripped from homes.

The hurricane made landfall near Cayo Costa island on Wednesday at around 3 p.m. EDT, causing widespread flooding in nearby Fort Myers and Cape Coral.

A video of the aftermath posted on Twitter by former news reporter Devin Turk showed the sea had all but merged with downtown Fort Myers, with roads, car parks and open space submerged and houses surrounded by water.

Another clip from the city, tweeted out by local resident Chuck Higbie, depicts drivers trying to get their vehicles through flooded roads, lined by badly battered palm trees.

Several properties are partially submerged by the water, while others appear to have suffered roof damage from the wind.

News reporter Moshe Schwartz posted a video from Naples, further south from Fort Myers, showing at least one vehicle almost completely submerged as the flood waters rush past a property.

The video has received more than 25,000 views on Twitter, along with 63 retweets.

The devastation extended further across Florida, with a video posted by journalist Jeff Allen showing flooding outside Universal Studios, on the outskirts of Orlando.

Allen wrote: "This WAS the entrance to the Double Tree by Hilton hotel at Universal Studios. And those cars across Major Blvd used to be working cars. Likely not anymore."

Video of a man swimming in a flooded house went viral attracting more than 1.2 million views.

Commenting on the footage, hurricane specialist Zach Covey said: "Hurricane #Ian brings catastrophic storm surge to Naples, Florida with water moving into houses. Social media channels show residents SWIMMING in the surge in their houses.

"DO NOT DO THIS. You don't know what may be in this water, including chemicals!"

On Thursday strong winds and flooding continued to batter eastern Florida as the now Tropical Storm Ian heads back into the Atlantic, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour.

The National Hurricane Center warned tropical storm-strength winds will continue to hit northeastern Florida, Georgia, and the Carolina coasts through Friday, with hurricane-strength conditions possible.

On Twitter the federal agency added: "There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge today through Friday along the coasts of northeast Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Residents in these areas should follow any advice given by local officials."