Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

Hurricane Ian's most damaging winds have begun hitting Florida's southwest coast, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status. Fueled by warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian grew to a catastrophic Category 4 hurricane overnight with top winds of 250km/h, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm trudged on a track that would have it making landfall north of the heavily populated Fort Myers area, which forecasters said could be inundated by a storm surge of up to 5.5m. People walk where water is receding out of Tampa Bay due to a negative surge ahead of Hurricane Ian. Photo / Steve Helber, AP "This is going to be a nasty nasty day, two days," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said, stressing that people in Ian's path along the coast should rush to the safest possible shelter and stay there. Ian menaced Florida after bringing destruction Tuesday to western Cuba, where two people were reported dead an