Watch how Hurricane Ian looks from space: White and huge and scary

Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms ever to hit he US, unleashed "historic" devastation in Florida and left hundreds of people in need of rescue.

There is no official count of the dead, but US President Joe Biden said they are "hearing reports of what may be substantial loss of life."

Fort Myers, where Ian made landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Wednesday, took much of the brunt of the storm. Airports stopped all commercial flights, and cruise ship companies delayed or cancelled voyages.


Trees were toppled in the 240 kph winds, streets became rivers and seawater poured into houses. The hurricane ripped homes from their slabs and deposited them among wreckage.

There are plenty of pictures and videos of the killer storm online but this one offers a totally different view. The footage was taken by the International Station as it cruised by that region 415 kms above Earth and shows a thick swirling cloud of white. The video captures Hurricane Ian as it makes landfall in Florida.

"Hurricane Ian as seen from the International Space Station (@ISS) on Sept. 28, 2022, as it orbited 258 miles (415 km) above," wrote NASA. "The vantage point of space, and our fleet of more than 20 Earth-observing satellites, help us provide insights and updates on hurricanes, and other extreme weather events."

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Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm overnight but it regained Category 1 hurricane strength on Thursday afternoon and is headed towards South Carolina .

Forecasters predicting a storm surge and floods from the megastorm, and may vehicles in the city of Charleston were seen headed for higher ground. It is also predicted to hit parts of North Carolina.

Climate change added at least 10% more rain to Hurricane Ian, according to a study prepared immediately after the storm.