Storm surge is a deadly risk in storms in the Gulf Coast,

Strongest hurricane hit Florida

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According to the NHC, Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday close to Cayo Costa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and "catastrophic" winds and storm surge.

Ian is the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Florida since Hurricane Michael devastated the  panhandle in 2018. 

As of 5 a.m., Ian had strengthened into a major Category 3 storm. ET Tuesday, recording maximum sustained winds of 125 mph as it hit western Cuba, forecasters said. Officials in Cuba's Pinar del Rio province established dozens of shelters and made measures to protect crops in the country's largest tobacco-growing region. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the island's west coast could see as much as 14 feet (4.3 metres) of storm surge.

Conditions for Tampa Bay remain critical, with Mayor Jane Castor warning to citizens that the next 24 hours will be the most perilous in Tampa. In the Tampa Bay region, there have been around 485,000 recorded outages. And more than 1.8 million homes and businesses have lost power in Florida.

Hurricane Andrew, 1992

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Andrew had maximum sustained winds of 165 mph, making it the "strongest and most destructive hurricane on record to reach southern Florida."

2004 hurricane Charley

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According to Weather.gov, Hurricane Charley made landfall as a Category 4 storm on the southwest coast of Florida, close to the island of Cayo Costa.

According to NOAA, Hurricane Charley was one of four hurricanes that formed in under six weeks in the 2004 hurricane season.

When issuing a warning for Hurricane Ian on Tuesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) made reference to Hurricane Charley, saying: "I know there are folks in southwest Florida who remember Hurricane Charley was projected to make a direct impact into Tampa Bay and then it turned and went into southwest Florida."

The track might end up doing something similar, but this is a very distinct storm, I would simply like to say," he remarked.

2005 Hurricane Wilma

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According to the National Weather Service, Storm Wilma made landfall in South Florida as a Category 3 hurricane with wind gusts up to 120 mph.

Five of Wilma's 22 fatalities were in Florida, and according to NOAA, the storm's destruction in southern Florida cost an estimated $16.8 billion.

2018 Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael, which made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, was initially rated as a Category 4 hurricane in 2018, however NOAA later elevated the storm to Category 5 following a post-storm investigation months later.

In the Florida Panhandle, the storm left behind significant damage. According to Reuters, there were eight direct fatalities confirmed, including seven in Florida.