Hurricane Ian wipes out large section of Sanibel Causeway in Florida, cutting off only access to island of 6,300 people

A large section of the only bridge connecting Sanibel Island with the Florida mainland collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico early Thursday morning, essentially cutting off access to the barrier island of about 6,300 people.

One of the sections of the Sanibel Causeway was blown away by the then-Category 4 storm just after 4 p.m., according to the Tampa Bay Times.

A section of the damaged Sanibel Causeway seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, near Sanibel Island, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/)

Besides destroying the only bridge to Sanibel Island, Ian has also trapped people in flooded homes.

Local officials say that residents are also dealing with poor cell phone service, and communication with loved ones or authorities is extremely challenging.

“Portable towers are on the way for cell service. Chances are your loved ones do not have ability to contact you,” the sheriff’s office in Collier County said. “We can tell you as daylight reveals the aftermath, it’s going to be a hard day.”

It’s unclear how many people followed evacuation orders before the storm surge washed over Sanibel Island.

A damaged causeway to Sanibel Island is seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian , Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, near Sanibel Island, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/)

Across the state, Ian has knocked out power to more than 2.5 million people and businesses.

One of the strongest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S., Ian made landfall on the Florida mainland at 4:35 p.m. Wednesday, but it has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.

With News Wire Services