Storm scenes: Voices of fear, hope as Ian lashes Florida

Hurricane Ian struck a large swath of Florida on Wednesday. Evacuations were ordered ahead of the tropical system, but some travelers got stuck trying to leave; other residents decided to try to ride out the storm.

Here are some of the stories and scenes from Florida and beyond, as slow-moving Ian affected millions of people in the United States after pummeling Cuba.

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Clearwater resident Erik Moon lives in an evacuation zone but decided to stay in his apartment after he was unable to find plywood to secure his home. For now, Moon is staying put in his two-level unit with his cat, Gonzo, and his dog, Dallas.

Moon, 36, lives about half a mile from the beach, and while he’s concerned about storm surge, he said Wednesday that he thought it would likely present a bigger danger to property than his own life.

Moon, a DJ at a club in Tampa, said he doesn’t have renter’s insurance but is counting on the building owner’s insurance to cover things. His main worry was the health and well-being of his Florida friends, but he wasn’t second-guessing his decision to stay.

“Sometimes you just want to be around where you are from,” Moon said. “Now, I paid attention, and I would have evacuated if I really felt it was that much of a danger to my life. But I think I made the right choice.”

- Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Columbus, Ohio

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Jackson Boone gathered with some of his employees and their pets at his law firm in Venice, Florida, to ride out the storm. They gathered in an interior part of the building and tried to follow officials' guidance.

At one point Wednesday, Boone opened the door. The wind howled. Rain was pelting horizontally, he said.

“We’re seeing tree damage, horizontal rain, very high wind — I think it’s a 100 plus...