VIDEOS: Hurricane Ian batters Florida as one of the most powerful US storms ever recorded

FLORIDA (TND) — Hurricane Ian made landfall as a catastrophic hurricane in southwestern Florida on Wednesday afternoon as one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in the U.S. Experts predict the storm is set to bring 10 to 15 inches of rain to the area and could cause a "life-threatening storm surge." Over 2.5 million people across the state were under evacuation orders before the storm struck.

Videos and photos showing the devastating damage across Florida are already piling up. Here are a few:

PLACIDA

Marcus Diaz with Livestorms Media captured ferocious inner eyewall winds near Placida that caused sturdy highway railings to shake and palm trees to almost bowl over.The National Weather Service said Ian is "extremely dangerous" and slammed the coast with a wind speed of 150mph, which is a Category 4 hurricane.

A Category 5 hurricane is only a few miles faster.

Also in Placida, Diaz captured strong gusts in an area where he says was on the cusp of the eye of Hurricane Ian, calling it a "pretty wild experience."

PUNTA GORDA

Ryan Cartee with Livestorms Media filmed near white-out conditions that were ongoing in the inner eye wall of the hurricane. He says parts of the roofing on some houses and debris were thrown up in the air.In the latter part of the video, the wind and rain is so dense they resemble fog conditions–nothing can be seen beyond a few palm trees and buildings.

Ben McHone, meanwhile, also filmed parts of Punta Gorda for Livestorms Media. He recorded as Hurricane Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida and an uptick of lightning was captured in the first few seconds. Power lines were down due to the intense winds, and officials are reminding residents not to touch them, as that can be deadly.

McHone said the estimated sustained wind speeds he witnessed were 90-95 mph, gusting to 110 mph.