Years after Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida, a documentary details the mark it left

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published August 14, 2025 at 9:52 AM MDT

In this aerial view, destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Ian is shown on Oct. 02, 2022 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Fort Myers Beach sustained severe damage by the Category 4 hurricane which caused extensive damage to the southwest portion of Florida. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

It’s been almost three years since Hurricane Ian swept through southwest Florida, causing mass destruction and staggering financial damage that the area is still recovering from.

A new documentary from WGCU Public Media examines Hurricane Ian’s impact on the area, highlighting the science behind the devastation and the need for preparedness, especially with the peak of hurricane season coming up.

Here & Now‘s host Scott Tong speaks with Janine Zeitlin, senior producer and writer for WGCU’s “Rising: Surviving the Surge.”