Photos: Hurricane Ian batters Florida's Gulf Coast

Hurricane Ian battered Florida Wednesday, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph and gusts nearing 200. More than 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate and tens of thousands were already without power before the storm even made landfall.

President Biden said he was in contact with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and mayors in the area in an attempt to coordinate the response. Biden said FEMA and the National Guard were already activated and ready to help with food, water, generators and shelters.

A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian
A satellite image shows the eye of Hurricane Ian. (NOAA via AP)

“The storm warnings are real, the evacuation notices are real, the danger is real and when the storm passes, the federal government is going to be there to help you recover,” Biden said Wednesday morning. “We’ll be there to help you clean up and rebuild, to help Florida get moving again, and we’ll be there at every step of the way. That’s my absolute commitment to the people of the state of Florida.”

On Wednesday morning, DeSantis said it was no longer possible for residents to safely evacuate and instead urged them “to hunker down and prepare for this storm."

“This is a powerful storm that should be treated like you would treat if a tornado was approaching your home,” he said. DeSantis encouraged residents to get off the roads and make use of the “more than 200 shelters open in just the southwest Florida region alone.”

“This is not just a 48-hour ordeal, this is something that’s going to be there for days and weeks and months,” DeSantis added. “And unfortunately, in some circumstances, even years.”

See photos of the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian below.

A sailboat lies askew in Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda, Fla.
A sailboat lies askew in Charlotte Harbor in Punta Gorda, Fla. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)
Wind blows palm trees
Palm trees in distress in Charlotte Harbor, Fla. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)
People walk on the Ballast Point Pier
People on the Ballast Point Pier in Tampa. (Chris O'Meara/AP)
A bridge in Punta Gorda, Fla.
A bridge in Punta Gorda, Fla. (Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty Images)
Fort Myers Beach
A view of Fort Myers Beach. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay
People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay. (Steve Helber/AP)
A tree uprooted by strong winds obstructs a shopping center parking lot, Cooper City, Fla.
A tree uprooted by strong winds obstructs a shopping center parking lot, Cooper City, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/AP)
Duke Energy trucks are staged the parking lot at Tropicana Field
Trucks from a local utility are parked at Tropicana Field in preparation for Hurricane Ian, in St. Petersburg. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
A view of the pier in Tampa Bay
A view of the pier in Tampa Bay. (Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
An emergency vehicle travels the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay
An emergency vehicle travels the Sunshine Skyway over Tampa Bay. (FDOT via AP)
Ash Dugney views Tampa Bay on the Ballast Point Pier
Surveilling Tampa Bay from the Ballast Point Pier in Tampa. (Chris O'Meara/AP)
Traffic lights wave by strong gust of wind ahead of Hurricane Ian
Fort Myers under seige by Hurricane Ian. (Marco Bello/Reuters)
Downed palm fronds collect on an empty downtown intersection as Hurricane Ian approaches Sarasota, Fla.
The downtown of Sarasota is deserted as Hurricane Ian approaches. (Steve Nesius/Reuters)
People gather at Key West pier as Hurricane Ian approaches
A pier in Key West. (Gwen Filosa/via Reuters)
A U.S. postal service mailbox is dry wrapped as Hurricane Ian approaches Florida's Gulf Coast
A mailbox in Sarasota is dry wrapped as the hurricane nears. (Steve Nesius/Reuters)