Camera goes underwater, then viral as Hurricane Ian floods Fort Myers Beach

Nate Chute, Fort Myers News-Press
·2 min read
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Video of rising water at Fort Myers Beach was caught on a storm chaser's live stream as Hurricane Ian neared landfall on Wednesday.

Streaming with multiple cameras set up from Port Charlotte to Punta Gorda to Sanibel Island, Kory Hartman narrated the latest developments to an audiences of tens of thousands of live watchers as the stormed approached on his YouTube channel, Severe Studios.

"SG 9 at Fort Myers Beach is still going even with waters pounding it, with debris hitting it," Hartman said during the stream.

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Severe Studios camera on Estero Blvd. showed flooding in Fort Myers

While certain cameras were taking offline due to the rough conditions, the camera set up about six feet high at Fort Myers Beach caught the attention of those watching, as high waters showed the camera nearly completely underwater. The camera was set up on Estero Boulevard.

"Oh my goodness, nine is almost completely underwater," Hartman said. "I think we have gone almost completely underwater. Oh yeah, we're only going to get glimpses now on nine."

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Live commenters reacted once the camera went offline, with comments like "RIP Cam 9. Thank you for your service" and "Cam 9 went 6 rounds with a heavyweight. Much respect" from his audience.

A video clip of the the rising waters caught by the camera was picked up by The Weather Channel to show the impact of Ian on the coast. A clip tweeted by meteorologist Micheal Bettes had more than 5 million views within six hours of its posting.

You can watch a replay of Hartman's stream here.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Flooding in Florida from Hurricane Ian seen as camera goes underwater