ORLANDO, Fla. -- One year ago, Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida, leaving destruction in its wake.
- It's the 1-year anniversary of Hurricane Irma making landfall in Florida
- Irma directly led to 44 deaths, including 14 in South Florida nursing home
- Spectrum News hosting Hurricane Irma special on Wednesday night
- RELATED:
Spectrum News is taking a look back with a "Hurricane Irma: One Year Later" special, which airs 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12.
As Irma approached, Floridians scrambled to buy supplies. Bottled water sold out at nearly every grocery store. Shelves were left empty. Long lines plagued gas stations. Interstate 75 was clogged with traffic as residents in South Florida evacuated north.
The storm knocked out most of the state's power when it hit on Sept. 10. For some, it was days, for others, weeks.
Irma drove locals into shelters and hotels, many of whom were under evacuation orders.
Irma was one of the deadliest storms on record, according to the National Hurricane Center.
At least 44 fatalities were directly linked to the storm, while an additional 85 fatalities were indirectly linked. Fourteen people died at a nursing home in South Florida that lost power during the storm.
Following the nursing home deaths, Gov. Rick Scott signed into law new emergency power rules. The law requires nursing homes and elder-care facilities to install generators to power air-conditioning systems.
In the aftermath, many areas were left with damage and destruction.
Recovery has been slow in the Florida Keys. Some people are still living in trailers as they rebuild houses and businesses. In Central Florida, some buildings still have blue tarps on their roofs.
The storm also had an impact on Florida's tourism economy. Irma prompted large numbers of visitors who were visiting last September to cut their vacations short.
According to Visit Florida, 1.8 million fewer visitors came to Florida in the four months following Hurricane Irma.