Florida’s Gulf Coast is still reeling from the 2022 hurricane as Helene approaches

As Hurricane Helene intensifies over Florida on its way to becoming a major storm, residents and officials are preparing for the impact as memories of 2022’s deadly and destructive Hurricane Ian still linger on the Gulf Coast.

By the time Helene makes landfall Thursday evening, it is forecast to develop into a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 mph, prompting emergency declarations, school closures and evacuation orders in parts of the state.

But as the latest weather disaster approaches, the shadow of 2022’s deadly and destructive Hurricane Ian looms over Florida’s Southwest Gulf Coast, which is still recovering.

Almost two years ago to the day, Hurricane Ian made landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida, a small island west of Fort Myers, on the morning of September 28, 2022.

Ian made an impact as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 miles per hour and an onslaught of rain and storm surge, becoming one of the strongest and deadliest hurricanes in Florida history.

The brunt of Ian’s forces was felt on Fort Myers Beach and the state’s offshore islands, Pine Island, Sanibel Island, Captiva and the village of Matlacha.

As the storm intensified, barrier island residents from mainland Florida were left behind as portions of the Sanibel Causeway were destroyed and parts of the Pine Island Bridge were partially washed out.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, both structures continue to undergo reconstruction and safety measures to withstand future storms.

Hurricane Ian’s strength was historic: a storm surge of 12 to 18 feet above ground level was reported along the southwest Florida coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the city of Fort Myers experienced a record 7.26 feet of rise.

In the days following Ian’s landfall, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at the time that nearly 2,500 people had been rescued by emergency responders and over 100,000 affected buildings had been searched.

Florida’s Medical Examiners Commission confirmed 149 deaths in the state attributed to Hurricane Ian, with most of the fatalities occurring on the state’s Gulf Coast in Lee County.

According to NOAA, Ian became Florida’s deadliest hurricane since 1935 and is the costliest in the state’s history.

The destruction caused by Hurricane Ian left cleanup costs at $115.5 billion. According to NOAA, Ian is the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history after Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2027.

The storm had a severe impact on the state’s power grid. Officials said outages in the state rose to 2.5 million in the days after it made landfall.

Earlier this month, as the second anniversary of Ian’s landfall approached, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a six-month extension of its housing program to continue supporting storm survivors.

Since Hurricane Ian, FEMA has provided temporary housing units for more than 1,300 displaced families in the state. While more than 80% of families have found permanent homes, there remains a need for housing assistance in the region, according to the agency.

Two years later, federal storm recovery assistance reached $10.2 billion for households, businesses, communities and flood insurance policyholders, according to FEMA.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect in parts of at least 20 Florida counties, including Taylor, Sarasota, Gulf and Hillsborough, on the eve of Hurricane Helene’s predicted landfall.

Stay up to date with ABC News’ live coverage of Hurricane Helene and tracking the storm’s progress.