WATCH: Harrowing videos of Hurricane Ian as the category 4 storm moves in on Florida

Houses floating away, palm trees battered about and other mayhem from Hurricane Ian — The devastation being wrought by this nearly category 4 storm as it hit Florida is being recorded, and broadcast on social media, in real time.

Here are some of the most jarring videos we’ve come across since Ian slammed into Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Scenes like the one below tweeted by The Weather Channel’s Mike Seidel were typical. This was in the eyewall, site of the heaviest rainfall and most damaging winds.

In the eye wall of #Hurricane #Ian in Fort Myers. We're live on @weatherchannel along with @StephanieAbrams and @JimCantore #HurricanIan pic.twitter.com/gSBdmAUjWX

— Mike Seidel (@mikeseidel) September 28, 2022

Video from Fort Myers Beach showed houses floating away.

Houses are destroyed and some are floating away as Ian's eyewall hammers southwest Florida. This is video from Fort Myers Beach, Florida off Estero Blvd by Loni Architects pic.twitter.com/6GqrxLRv9Q

— Kaitlin Wright (@wxkaitlin) September 28, 2022

There were some ominous-looking shots of the bare bay in Tampa as Ian sucked all the water out and up.

Video from Matt Tilman of Bayshore Blvd in Tampa. The bay being sucked out. #hurricaneian #ian pic.twitter.com/F54Lv1r5KV

— Jordan Steele (@JordanSteele) September 28, 2022

It was almost guaranteed to be redelivered as a storm surge once the wind changed, meteorologists said.

As expected, local bays, inlets, waterways have been nearly emptied by strong northeast winds in advance of #Ian. Unfortunately, south of Ian landfall, there will be a catastrophic storm surge. 📷 Christina Cabino Weldon on Bayshore pic.twitter.com/k9XrGXHfdD

— Paul Dellegatto⚡️FOX (@PaulFox13) September 28, 2022

Before Ian even formally hit land, the storm surge was already moving in, as this footage from EarthCam showed. Commenters were quick to point out that people should in fact never ever gather on a pier while a hurricane is bearing down.

Water surge already moving in at Naples Pier FL #HurricanIan @EarthCam pic.twitter.com/WrDKvZffSe

— NBCPhotog (@bforte22) September 28, 2022

The only thing dumber than standing on a pier in a hurricane is … getting into the water?

New video just in from Fort Myers, FL shows swimmers getting into the storm surge as Hurricane #Ian approaches.

This is EXTREMELY dangerous. I can’t believe I have to say this…. DO NOT GET INTO THE WATER! pic.twitter.com/jsoUPvX8uC

— Zach Covey (@ZachCoveyTV) September 28, 2022

This footage condensed from a streetcam showed the speed that the storm moved in with. Commenters who knew the area said it was more than a mile inland.

Here is a time-lapse of the #StormSurge coming in on Sanibel Island, #Florida caught on a live traffic cam. This was only 30mins condensed down, it deteriorated quickly. 😬 #HurricaneIan #Hurricane #Ian pic.twitter.com/JKuNROvMm4

— BirdingPeepWx (@BirdingPeepWx) September 28, 2022

This footage of the Skyway Bridge in Tampa said it all.

A webcam over Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa captures the impact of Hurricane Ian's strong winds and rain. pic.twitter.com/F8ha2WRUU7

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 28, 2022

“I literally couldn’t stand against the wind,” Venice resident Mark Pritchett told The Associated Press via text, not long after the hurricane came ashore about 35 miles south of him, near the protected barrier island of Cayo Costa just west of Fort Myers. “Rain shooting like needles. My street is a river. Limbs and trees down. And the worst is yet to come.”

With News Wire Services

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