Hurricane Ian updates: Florida death toll climbs

Lee County has received more than double the number of 911 calls it typically receives amid Hurricane Ian, according to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, as first responders have suspended their emergency response during the major storm.

"We hear your calls and are aware that Hurricane Ian was a powerful and devastating weather event," Marceno said in a social media post Wednesday evening. "We want to get to you. We want to save you. As soon as safely possible, our assets are ready to deploy to come to your aide."

Ben Abes, Lee County's public safety director, said current conditions, including flooding, make it "impossible" for first responders to go out. He said the county is tracking 911 calls and prioritizing them once first responders are able to act after the hurricane passes.

"We are aware of a number of calls of people who are stranded due to high water," he said during a press briefing Wednesday evening. "This is a scary situation. We urge you not to panic."

Lee County, which is home to hard-hit Fort Myers, Sanibel and Bonita Beach, issued a countywide curfew Wednesday evening due to the storm that is in effect until further notice.

Hurricane Ian has weakened to a Category 3 storm hours after making landfall near Fort Myers as a major hurricane.

While the strength of the storm has diminished slightly, Ian is still wreaking havoc on the Sunshine State as a devastating storm.

The highest wind gust measured at 132 mph at Port Charlotte, and maximum sustained winds are currently at 125 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 7 p.m. advisory.

Water levels in Fort Myers have been reported at more than 7 feet, the advisory states.

-ABC News' Riley Winch

Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach have been "decimated" by Ian after the major hurricane made landfall there.

About 75% of Lee County is without power, and several people are stranded due to high water, officials from Lee County Emergency Management announced during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

A curfew in Lee County was implemented beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Forecasts predict that it will not be safe to venture outside in the region until 5 a.m. on Thursday, officials said.

The number of injuries or fatalities is not yet clear, officials said, adding that the recovery efforts will take months.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration station in Venice Beach, Florida, has measured wind gusts of 104 mph within the northern eye wall of Hurricane Ian, according to the 6 p.m. storm advisory.

The storm is currently battering the Florida peninsula with catastrophic storm surge, winds and flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Maximum sustained winds measured at 130 mph, and the storm system has begun churning even slower at 8 mph north-northeast -- toward the east coast of the state.

-ABC News' Melissa Griffin