Hurricane Ian washes away home of Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' law co-sponsor: report

Hurricane Ian plowed through Southern Florida on Wednesday leaving millions of residents without electricity after it flooded numerous cities and swept away homes and businesses. Concerns are mounting that Ian may have taken hundreds of lives.

The Category 4 storm's fury was likely exacerbated by climate change and was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones to ever hit the Sunshine State's Gulf Coast.

Lee County, which contains the city of Fort Myers, was among the areas that experienced the worst of Ian's tempestuous wrath.

READ MORE: Watch: Hurricane Ian hammers Florida as a monster Category 4 storm

“It’s going to take over a decade to rebuild Lee County. This is something we have not suffered in many years," Florida State Representative Spencer Roach (R-79th District) said as Ian moved toward the Atlantic Ocean.

According to FloridaPolitics.com, Roach's residence was destroyed by Ian.

“People have made a lot of comparisons to Irma and Charley," he noted. "This is more similar to Katrina than the Florida storms we are familiar with. There is a different level of devastation and recovery, and it is going to impact a lot of folks.”

Roach is a veteran of the United States Coast Guard and was a co-sponsor of Florida's infamous "Don't Say Gay" legislation – the Parental Rights in Education Act or House Bill 1557 – that GOP Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law back in March. Roach is also a supporter of former President Donald Trump.

READ MORE: Florida's ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law takes effect today as schools scramble to avoid parental lawsuits